Now that the summer concert season is almost over, looking back on it, there were only a few big names to get a lot of people excited.

Luckily, based on the upcoming lineup of bands and artists and the re-opening of a popular Kansas City venue, that will be different this fall. Here are a few of the legendary names and big shows coming to the area, along with a new venue that’s opened up fall’s music possibilities.

THE BIG ONES

Of course, the Sprint Center is where many of the big shows are going to be held over the next few months. And one of the biggest of the year will happen this weekend when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band perform on Aug. 24. Just five days later, a troupe of 10 superstar hopefuls will take the Sprint Center stage when Pop Tarts presents “American Idol Live” Aug. 29 and 30, which will of course feature “Idol” winner and KC native David Cook.

Just one month later, a legendary diva graces the area with her presence (and legs) when Tina Turner performs Oct. 1. And four more huge shows will come to the Sprint Center in November. First, iconic singer/songwriter Neil Young will share the stage with Death Cab for Cutie on Nov. 4. Then, over the course of one week, you can catch newly reunited ’80s boy band New Kids on the Block on Nov. 11, popular brit-rockers Coldplay on Nov. 13 (postponed from their originally scheduled summer performance) and Canadian diva Celine Dion on Nov. 15.

Of course, there is one show slated to come to the Sprint Center that is creating quite a buzz among metalheads. Metal gods Metallica are returning to the road to promote their first album in five years. They have announced plans on www.metallica.com to rock the Sprint Center on Oct. 25. Even though tickets aren’t on sale yet, Tina Phillips, manager of Record Wear House, already predicts it will be an enormous show.

“That will be big because Metallica haven’t been on tour for a while and their fans are complete diehards,” Phillips says. “That’s a highly anticipated concert.”

Not all of the big shows are coming to the Sprint Center this fall. The Starlight Theatre will feature two big bands that will bring a crowd when Maroon 5 and Counting Crows co-headline on Sept. 24.

“They’re crossing the gender lines, the old people like them, the young people like them ...,” says Gregg Lynn, programming director for KJO 105.5. “I think that’s going to bring in a huge cross-section of people.”

THE OLD GUARD

Take a look at who is coming to KC in the coming weeks and months and you’ll notice a little trend: many of the performers are legendary, as in bona fide superstars who don’t really need to play another show but continue to tour and grow their fan base.

“I think there’s a whole new audience that’s grown up and they’ve missed it,” says Jennifer Morton, marketing and promotions director at 99.7 The Boulevard in Kansas City, “They weren’t exposed to that.”

But they will get opportunities for some ample exposure this fall, starting with Bob Dylan, Aug. 28 at the Uptown Theater. Robert Plant, frontman for seminal hard rock band Led Zeppelin, will also be coming to the area, performing Sept. 23 at Starlight Theatre. However, instead of being joined by the surviving Zeppelin members, he will be paired with bluegrass songstress Allison Krauss and performing songs from their adventurous collaboration “Raising Sand.”

The season will also feature plenty of notable artists from the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham comes to the Uptown Theater Sept. 28. And during one weekend, music fans will get the chance to hear songs from two influential songwriters when SoCal singer/songwriter Jackson Browne performs Oct. 17 at Ameristar Casino and Talking Heads visionary David Byrne plays Oct. 19 at the Uptown Theater. And lest we forget that David Crosby and Graham Nash, one half of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, will bring their classic sound to the Uptown Theater on Nov. 6.

A THEATER REBORN

While many of the outdoor venues will be closing until next summer, Kansas City will be getting one more venue to increase concert possibilities.

The historic Midland Theater will reopen Sept. 9 in downtown KC as part of the Power and Light District with a performance by Leavenworth, Kan., native and platinum-selling songwriter Melissa Ethridge.

The newly-renovated and totally pimped out theater seats between 1,300 and 3,000 people. Over the next three months, the theater will feature performances from ’80s pop-rockers Journey (Sept. 15), country troubadour Vince Gill (Sept. 21), Texas rockers ZZ Top (Oct. 1), alterna-fem Alanis Morissette (Oct. 28) and soul legend Al Green (Nov. 29). To see a complete list of performers coming to The Midland, go to www.midlandkc.com.

Of course, there are plenty of other concerts coming to the region worth noting that we don’t have quite room for. Check St. Joe Live’s concert calendar on page 15 today and in upcoming weeks to find out more. Based on the performers we’ve mentioned, it appears the fall is when the concert season is really going to heat up.

– blake hannon | Stjoelive staff