The Best Outdoors Concert Venues for the Summer in Boston

The summer is a great time to head to a concert venue and catch a show of one of your favorite bands. With outside seating, great weather, and big name tours, you can be sure to have a blast with some of your friends while enjoying some great music. The Northeast especially has a number of great venues to choose from, but 3 especially you should check out are The New England Dodge Music Center in Hartford, Connecticut, the Bank of America Pavilion in Boston, and The Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

The New England Dodge Music Center is located just minutes from downtown Hartford and plays host to some of the biggest names in music. With outdoor seating and an area under a roof, this venue can fit upwards of 10,000 fans comfortably. They have a great beer tent and large parking lot, so tailgating and have a few drinks with your friends will be a blast. This summer they are kicking off their concert series with an evening show with Pearl Jam. A few weeks later they'll have legendary southern rockers Lynyrd Skynyrd rocking out. The headliners for the summer are Dave Matthews Band and Kelly Clarkson, which will be sure to sell out so try and get your tickets early. They close out the summer with the rock festival Ozzfest. Be sure to check them out at www.dodgemusiccenter.com, or call them at 860-548-7370 for more info on tickets and directions.

If you are looking for a more intimate setting to see your favorite band, head over to the Bank of America Pavilion in Boston. Located right on the water, the Bank of America Pavilion usually hosts some smaller names, but has world-class food and beer. And with great seats available for any part of the seating chart, you can be sure you'll see a side of your favorite musicians you never saw before. This summer you'll be able to see big names like Willie Nelson, Ashlee Simpson, Chicago, and Styx. The venue is quaint, so tickets more than likely will sell out, so go to www.bankofamericapavillion.com for prices and a schedule of events.

For a place that's similar to the New England Dodge Music Center is the Tweeter Center is Mansfield. Mansfield is about 30 miles south of Boston and definitely has a great lineup scheduled for this coming summer. They have a huge parking lot and most people get there early and grill some meat and have a few beers. On any summer day you can find any of the 8000 concertgoers partying it up. If you are interested, they offer a VIP parking package as getting in and out can prove to be a little daunting. They are going to start the summer off with the famous KISS Concert 2006 with artists like Mary J. Blige, James Blunt, Chris Brown and Ne-yo tearing up the stage. Tickets go fast so get them early. Their highlight of the summer will most certainly be the two nights that Jimmy Buffett will give the parrot-heads something to cheer for. He'll play on August 10th and 12th, so bring your tequila and Hawaiian shirt. Head over to www.tweetercenter.com/boston for more info or call them at 508-339-2333.