How the Summer’s Shaping Up

Lollapalooza might be the only tour to approach stadium-size numbers, but that doesn’t mean it will be a bad summer for the concert business. A number of tours are expected to do brisk business in the 15,000- to 20,000-seat amphitheaters.

Leading the way are two festival packages: a bill featuring bands led by former members of the Grateful Dead (unofficially nicknamed Deadapalooza) and the fourth edition of H.O.R.D.E., a Lollapalooza for the neo-hippie set.

Other tours expected to be big include Grammy winners Alanis Morissette, Hootie & the Blowfish, Smashing Pumpkins, the Cranberries, TLC and the Foo Fighters. Among veteran acts, Bruce Springsteen is expected to jump his acoustic shows up to the amphitheater level, Sting will make his first tour in two years and perennial favorite Jimmy Buffett will likely return as well.

One other tour is sure to get lots of attention, though many promoters are uncertain how it will fare at the box office: a reunion of the original lineup of KISS, which will bring its makeup, costumes and big effects out of storage for the first time in 17 years.