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Best Upcoming Summer Concerts In Sacramento

You won't have to travel into the Bay Area this summer to find a great concert. Right here in Sacramento, local venues are booking platinum-selling recording artists, international superstars and gut-busting comedians, all in the name of great entertainment. Steal away for the night, grab some dinner at a local eatery and take in a live concert in and around Sacramento.
Nightlife & Music Summer Concerts, Kelly Clarkson In Concert
(Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images)

Kelly Clarkson
Ironstone Amphitheatre at Ironstone Vineyards

1894 Six Mile Road
Murphys CA
(209) 728-1251
www.ironstoneamphitheatre.net

Date: July 28, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
Price: from $45
Click here for tickets

Since she burst onto the music scene during the inaugural season of "American Idol" in 2002, singer Kelly Clarkson has performed in the finest music venues in America. This time, it's our turn to have the double-platinum artist perform right here in our backyard. Clarkson performs for one night only at the Ironstone Amphitheatre in Murphys. This stunning, five-tier arena has become a renowned destination for a variety of musical and performance artists in the Sacramento area. Each summer, a new roster of world-class performers book the Northern California venue for the Ironstone Summer Concert Series. You can relax and dine in style at the vineyard before the show by making a reservation for the Platinum Dinner package or buffet dinner.

Nightlife & Music Summer Concerts, Yanni
(Photo by Alan Diaz-Pool/Getty Images)

An Evening With Yanni
Sacramento Community Center Theater

1301 L St.
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 808-5291
www.sacramentoconventioncenter.com

Date: July 29, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
Price: from $15
Click here for tickets

As one of the pioneers of the 80s new age music boom, Yanni's inspiring and sometimes haunting music has touched millions of people in every continent on the planet. As a composer and performer of instrumental music, his highly coveted sound has remained relevant for decades. Expect to hear music from his newest album, Truth of Touch, the composer's first studio music album in a decade. When he takes the stage, he'll play music he made popular while performing at The Acropolis in Greece, the Taj Mahal in India, and the Forbidden City in China. His music is enchanting and oozes passion  and romance.

Nightlife & Music Summer Concerts, 'Weird' Al Yankovic
(Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Weird Al Yankovic: The Alpocalypse Tour
Three Stages at Folsom Lake College

10 College Parkway
Folsom, CA 95630
(916) 608-6888
www.threestages.net

Dates: August 10, 2012 at 8 p.m. and August 11, 2012 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Price: from $39
Click here for tickets

The Alpocalypse Tour is in full swing, and Weird Al is passing through Sacramento this August. He is booked as "the biggest selling comedy recording artist of all time," and for good reason. Al's success rose from his ability to take pop-culture's top musical hits and convert them into non-sensical, inappropriate and just-plain-funny parodies of the original song. In Alpocalypse, Al sets his sights on Lady Gaga, with "Polka Face," and "Perform This Way," among others. Al has been exercising his funny bone since the 80s, with early hits, "Another One Rides the Bus," a spoof of Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust;" and "My Bologna," a parody of "My Sharona" by The Knack.

Related: Best Comedy Clubs in Sacramento

Nightlife & Music Summer Concerts ZZ Top
(Photo credit: STEPHANE DANNA/AFP/Getty Images)

ZZ Top
Thunder Valley Casino & Resort - Amphitheater

1200 Athens Avenue
Lincoln, CA 95648
(916) 408-7777
thundervalleyresort.com

August 17, 2012 at 8:00 p.m.
Ticket prices, from $39.50
Click here for tickets

In a summer concert series that boasts performances by REO Speedwagon, Creed, Styx and Abba, Thunder Valley's summer wouldn't be complete without a night of laid-back blues-rock by Texas trio, ZZ Top. Gibbons, Hill and Beard are still making great music, well into their fourth decade of collaboration. With more than 15 albums released, ZZ Top's authentic and instantly recognizable sound still fills stadiums today, long after their first album, appropriately titled First Album in 1971. Now it's Sacramento's turn to hear the reigning bad boys of blues-rock, in this one-night-only appearance at Thunder Valley Casino & Resort. Sit under the stars in the phenomenal outdoor Ampitheater and enjoy the show.

Related: Best Outdoor Venues in Sacramento

Nightlife & Music Summer Concerts, Van Halen
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Van Halen
Power Balance Pavilion
1 Sports Parkway
Sacramento, CA 95834
(916) 928-6900
www.powerbalancepavilion.com

Date: August 25, 2012 at 7:30 p.m.
Price: from $48.50
Click here for tickets

Van Halen got their start right here in California in the early 70s, and they're coming back to their homestate to show us they've still got it. The successful hardcore rock band has sold more than 80 million albums to fans across the globe. Although Van Halen has seen its share of band-member drama over the years, they're still one of the most entertaining hair bands still hitting the stage to perform today. Fans will surely hear such hits as "Unchained," "Right Now" and "Without You" at this August concert at the Power Balance Pavilion.

Chuck Douros is a freelance writer, journalist, copywriter and editor from northern California. He specializes in web-based news and website content. Find his work here.

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