Washington Area Summer Rock Concerts

Obscured by the juvenile name, song-a-minute pace, mess of flying hair and Flying V guitars is the fact that 29-year-old Reatard (ne Jay Lindsay) is a punk-rock tunesmith without peer. The Memphis native has been bashing out hyperspeed, Ramones-influenced songs since he was a teenager but last year's "Matador Singles '08" found him hitting the perfect sweet spot of pure adrenaline rush and pop perfection. When he plays live with his band, though, it's all about the former half of the equation: yelping, thrashing and barely enough time between songs to catch your breath.

July 24

Bob Dylan

Ripken Stadium, $67.50

A Bob Dylan show in 2009 is as much a living history lesson as a concert. So skip that trip to Williamsburg and take the kids to Aberdeen, Md., to see the single greatest artist of the 20th century. (Seriously, take them: Kids 14 and younger get in free.) Dylan's decade-long comeback continues with this year's "Together Through Life," another gently rollicking trip down America's musical memory lane, with nods to the pre-rock-and-roll sounds of Chess and Sun Records. His voice may be more shot than Bonnie and Clyde's death car, but it's still hard not to get goose bumps during classics such as "Like a Rolling Stone" or "Blowin' in the Wind." Fellow American icon Willie Nelson opens.

July 28

Depeche Mode

Nissan Pavilion, $29.50-$89.50

There are countless '80s DJ nights clogging up clubs around town. There is only one Depeche Mode. And if it weren't for the synth-pop pioneers, well, maybe it would be easier for a band to get a show booked on a weekend. The sheer volume of dance floor anthems the band has written is staggering; "Personal Jesus," "Enjoy the Silence," "People Are People" and "Policy of Truth" only scratch the surface. The best tracks from new album "Sounds of the Universe" are more than just bathroom break fare, with singer Dave Gahan and songwriter Martin Gore teaming up for more delightfully dramatic songs about love, lust, betrayal and fear.