The summer touring season is in full swing, with bands sweeping across the country.

Unfortunately for area music fans, Iowa can be something of a dead zone on the concert map. A three-hour drive – north, south, or, occasionally, west – is regarded as a necessity by the experienced concertgoer.

To aid in the quest for good music this summer, FYI put together this list of local and semilocal concerts. These are the shows within easy driving distance (with the possible exception of August 24’s Rage Against The Machine concert) that will be of interest to the typical ISU concertgoer.

Shows are separated by area. When a band plays more than one area within a few days, the show is only listed once, along with a note indicating the other show.

Tickets for most of these shows are available through Ticketmaster.

Ames/Des Moines

Godsmack (July 22)

Stephens Auditorium, Ames

Rockapella (July 27)

Stephens Auditorium, Ames

Alice Cooper with Blue Oyster Cult (Aug. 10)

Iowa State Fair Grandstand, Des Moines

Counting Crows with Third Eye Blind and Collective Soul (Aug. 11)

Principal Park, Des Moines

311 with Matisyahu (Aug. 13)

Val Air Ballroom, West Des Moines

North (Minneapolis/St. Paul)

Tool (June 26)

Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn.

The Police (July 3)

Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn.

Prince (July 7)

Target Center, Minneapolis

Polyphonic Spree (July 10)

Fine Line Music Caf‚, Minneapolis

Rise Against (July 14)

Myth, Maplewood, Minn.

Hinder, Papa Roach, and Buckcherry (July 20)

Roy Wilkins Auditorium, St. Paul, Minn.

Nickelback (July 23)

Target Center, Minneapolis

Incubus (July 24)

Target Center, Minneapolis

ZZ Top, the Pretenders, and Stray Cats (July 28)

Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn.

Marilyn Manson and Slayer (Aug. 14)

Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, Minn.

*Also in Lincoln, NE on August 16

Rage Against The Machine with Queens of the Stone Age (Aug. 24)

Alpine Valley Music Theater, East Troy, Wisc.

South (Kansas City)

311 (June 29)

Beaumont Club, Kansas City, Mo.

*Also in Council Bluffs on July 1 and West Des Moines on August 13.

Goo Goo Dolls (July 2)

Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, Mo.

Papa Roach (July 6)

Beaumont Club, Kansas City, Mo.

Bob Dylan (July 16)

Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, Mo.

Jimmy Eat World (July 20)

Granada Theater, Lawrence, Kan.

*Also in Minneapolis on July 23

The Fray (Aug. 2)

Starlight Theatre, Kansas City, Mo.

Modest Mouse (Aug. 3)

City Market, Kansas City, Mo.

West (Omaha)

Incubus, Hinder, Papa Roach, Buckcherry and Simon Dawes (July 21)

Westfair Amphitheater, Council Bluffs