Keep Calm and Sing Along

Stressed about what concerts to attend this summer and most importantly, what to wear?! Here's three of this summer's hottest concerts and some key pieces needed for the night.

1) Katy Perry — Quirky, bubbly and oh so girlie. Our favorite "California Gurl" will be traveling all across America this summer, bringing her over-the-top style to the stage. Dress in bright colors, candy accessories and swipe on a coat of Katy's own OPI nail polish collection for the perfect sweet girlie look.

2) Ke$ha — Bringing the party to you this summer is the always crazy Ke$ha. Known for her unpredictable personality and "garbage-chic" style as she likes to call it, this concert is sure to be like no party you've ever been to. With lots of glitter, feathers, animal print and denim cutoffs, fitting into this party shouldn't be too hard.

3) Glee Live in Concert — McKinley High's New Directions are bringing their choir room to a city near you! The whole cast from the Fox show is performing their hit songs from seasons one and two, helping you remember to "Don't Stop Believin'!" Dress up in elements of your favorite characters, like knee socks and animal sweaters for Rachel, or in McKinley High's school colors of red and white.

—CARLY HILL

Concert Review: Backstreet Boys

A Backstreet Boys concert never fails to disappoint whether one is an old fan, a fan who never left or not really all that much of a fan. The boys' No. 1 worldwide hit "I Want It That Way" along with all 12 of the other radio-friendly songs released by the band in the 1990s and early 2000s provide enough entertainment for any audience. Regardless of the fact that you may not prefer pop music, there is no denying that its harmonies are infectious. Backstreet never fails to play all of their hits in some way, shape or form - though on this particular show they forewent performing the infamous hat dance during "All I Have to Give" for the first time ever. A special treat on the "This Is Us" tour came in the form of pre-recorded videos played during costume changes. For these, each Backstreet Boy re-created a movie trailer of one of their favorite films, turning them into "Backstreet" stories with their music as the soundtrack: The Fast and the Furious (Howie), Fight Club (AJ), Enchanted (Brian) and The Matrix (Nick).
Location: DTE Energy Center, 18 June 2010
Favorite Number: Opener "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" catered to the audience with excellent video typography graphics.

Concert Review: Dave Matthews Band

Sweet, sweet summertime concerts. This past Tuesday, I attended the Dave Matthews Band (DMB) concert in my home state and one of my favorite towns: Columbus, OH. It was outdoors at Huntington Park, which was a baseball stadium turned into a concert arena for the night. The weather was great, and so were my seats... well actually, there were no seats since we were right up front, though, this was perfect.

DMB took the stage around 8:30PM and played for a good two hours straight. The sound, band, and fans definitely made this an experience I will never forget. For those of you that are not well acquainted with DMB, they have been around for over 15 years and have produced seven successful albums.

Every night of the tour has a different set list, which makes fans anticipate the new songs Dave might throw at them during the course of the concert. On this specific night, they played several songs from my favorite album, "Busted Stuff" and their newest album "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King." Dave got the crowd pumped up by talking between every couple songs, and having the band play extra long versions of the songs, enhancing to the jazzy, acoustic rock.

If you're looking for a great summer concert to attend, DMB is definitely a great choice. Although, make sure you stay hydrated before the concert, because that summer sun can get the best of you while you stand in a crowd of hundreds of screaming fans. Check out their new album on iTunes, and especially my favorite album from 2002, "Busted Stuff."

--LK