Some aspects of summer, such as rising gas prices and blazing heat, are less than thrilling. But one must take the good with the bad, and in this case, that means braving the heat and expensive gasoline in the name of live music.

Summer concert season is here, and for San Antonio music fans, that means a healthy variety of live music. From pop to rock, with some rap and Spanish-language music thrown in, this summer's concert itinerary features a little bit of everything. Check it out:

DEFTONES
Openers: The Fall of Troy
When: Friday, May 18; Saturday, May 19
Where: Lonestar Pavilion at Sunset Station
How much: $25-$27.50
The 210 take: Metal heads rejoice. Because one night won't do, one of hard rock's mainstays over the past decade is coming to San Antonio for shows on back-to-back nights.

TOOL
When: Monday, May 21
Where: AT&T Center
How much: $30-$55
The 210 take: Metal heads rejoice. Again. If they've regained their hearing following two nights' worth of Deftones, hard rock fans can finally catch Tool at the AT&T Center — more than eight months after the band originally was slated to play in San Antonio.

ANTHONY DAVID
When: Saturday, May 26
Where: Lonestar Pavilion at Sunset Station
How much: $15-$18
The 210 take: For those who prefer their music a bit more subtle, check out David, People magazine's “Soul Artist of 2007.” Seemed like 50 Cent was a shoe-in for that honor.

CHAYANNE
When: Saturday, June 2
Where: AT&T Center
How much: $56.35-$86.35
The 210 take: The Puerto Rican heartthrob is bringing his Spanish-language show to San Antonio. Of course, many women in attendance probably would pay good money to simply see the former Playgirl pinup stand onstage in silence.

‘WEIRD' AL YANKOVIC
When: Friday, June 8
Where: Laurie Auditorium
How much: $25-$45
The 210 take: When someone who makes a living doing parodies becomes a parody of himself, is that person still funny?

NORAH JONES
When: Saturday, June 16
Where: Majestic Theatre
How much: $48-$58
The 210 take: Hopefully library rules won't apply at this laid-back show.

KENNY CHESNEY
Openers: Pat Green, Sugarland
When: Sunday, June 17
Where: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
How much: $38.75-$76.75
The 210 take: Welcome to one of the few shows in San Antonio this summer where cowboy hats and boots might be mandatory.

FALL OUT BOY
Openers: Paul Wall, +44, The Academy Is ....., Cobra Starship
When: Wednesday, June 20
Where: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
How much: $23.75-$39.25
The 210 take: Fall Out Boy bailed on an April date because of “personal issues” but rescheduled its San Antonio show. Did they have to?

JOHN MAYER
Opener: Ben Folds
When: Sunday, June 24
Where: AT&T Center
How much: $44.40-$54.40
The 210 take: Mayer is quite talented, but please, no Jessica Simpson duets.

BREAKING BENJAMIN
Openers: Sick Puppies, Red
When: Tuesday, July 3
Where: Lonestar Pavilion at Sunset Station
How much: TBD
The 210 take: Breaking Benjamin, if anything, is proof that a mainstream rock band can get tons of radio play and still not suck. You listening, Nickelback?

VANS WARPED TOUR
Main acts: Coheed and Cambria, Killswitch Engaged, The Used (pictured)
When: Friday, July 13
Where: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
How much: $31.69
The 210 take: Angst-ridden youth unite in a haze of smoke clouds, skate ramps and mosh pits.

BEYONCÉ
Opener: Robin Thicke
When: Sunday, July 15
Where: AT&T Center
How much: $48.40-$88.40
The 210 take: Beyoncé is a young Mariah Carey, only a better dancer and far less insane.

AMERICAN IDOLS LIVE
Main acts: Top 10 from sixth season of “American Idol”
When: Monday, July 16
Where: AT&T Center
How much: $39.50-$70
The 210 take: At least in the heat of a South Texas July, San Antonio's own Haley Scarnato has an excuse to wear those short shorts of hers. Not that she needed one.

PROJEKT REVOLUTION TOUR
Main acts: Linkin Park (pictured), My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday
When: Friday, Aug. 3
Where: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
How much: $24.50-$70
The 210 take: As long as Linkin Park is alive and kicking, the rap-rock movement will never die. Damn them!

OZZFEST
Main acts: Ozzy Osbourne (pictured), Lamb of God, Hatebreed
When: Saturday, Aug. 4
Where: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
How much: Free (ozzfest.com for details)
The 210 take: Those who buy select copies of Ozzy's new album — Black Rain — will get free tickets. Considering Ozzy's work of late, can't we just pay for a ticket instead?

ZZ TOP
Openers: The Pretenders, Stray Cats
When: Sunday, Aug. 5
Where: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
How much: $20-$81
The 210 take: The facial hair! Dear God, the facial hair!

RUSH
When: Sunday, Aug. 12
Where: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
How much: $32-$82
The 210 take: Rush recently was voted into the top spot on Rolling Stone's top 25 list of “Rock's Undisputed Guilty Pleasure Bands,” topping such crowd-pleasers as Britney Spears, Bon Jovi and Journey. Any band that can top Bon Jovi on that list is probably worth the admission price, if only for novelty's sake.

FAMILY VALUES TOUR
Main acts: Korn (pictured), Evanescence
When: Sunday, Aug. 19
Where: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
How much: $9.99-$59.50
The 210 take: Considering the rate at which Evanescence lead singer Amy Lee rids herself of band mates, by the time Family Values invades San Antonio, the group may very well be known as Amy Lee and her Traveling Backup Musicians.

MANÁ
When: Friday, Aug. 31
Where: AT&T Center
How much: $35-$75
The 210 take: This Mexican rock band, which has been around for nearly 30 years, ranges in sound from hard rock to pop to reggae.

DEF LEPPARD
Openers: Styx, Foreigner
When: Sunday, Aug. 29
Where: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
How much: TBD
The 210 take: Remember that “guilty pleasure” list that Rush topped? STYX finished 13th and Foreigner placed seventh. For some unimaginable reason, Def Leppard was left off the list. They must have been crushed.

MARILYN MANSON
Opener: Slayer
When: Saturday, Sept. 1
Where: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
How much: TBD
The 210 take: As hard rock opens the San Antonio summer concert season, so, too, does it close it . Of course, the images witnessed at this Goth fest might very well haunt you until summer 2008 rolls around.