Finally, the rock industry has figured out exactly what I want. All I can say is that it’s about flippin’ time, considering all the ticket fees I pay to these people.

See, I would like my rock stars outside, conveniently grouped coming to me, and yes, I’d like a side order of enthusiasm with that. This whole revival of the summer tour is really working for me. Thank you, rich music industry execs and aging rockers, thank you.

The resuscitation of the summer rock tour required several gallons of new blood in its proverbial veins, injected by flamboyantly cool Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction. Farrell, who founded Lollapalooza once upon a 1991 grunge-era time, is the same guy who decided that the annual nationwide summer tour needed a break. (Yes, people. Lollapalooza has not toured since 1997, but never fear. It’s back now. Breathe your collective sigh of relief.)

2003, however, is the summer of rejuvenation. Lollapalooza, the concert that undoubtedly changed summer touring for eternity, will be back on the road July 3. What’s more, is that the artists don’t seem so darn burnt out.

Lollapalooza last toured amidst the plastic pop explosion with teenagers drooling and sobbing at men with hair gel addiction problems, posing as young “”music”” idols and dancing around like trained ponies … with tassels.

It’s something we all would like to forget.

And Lollapalooza seems to have forgotten. The fact that the tour is even back is a testament that we are in an uphill curve for the summer, and what’s more is the line up is surprisingly fresh. Joining Jane’s Addiction are Audioslave, Queens of the Stone Age, Jurassic 5, Incubus, the Donnas and The Distillers. It’s a veritable hybrid of coolness, really tall guys, thin and pale guys, and girls that will flip you off, with a few outrageous outfits thrown in, all staged outdoors.

I am a content fan. How couldn’t I be? These bands are not tired, they are not overdone (yet — be careful Donna 1 through 4), and they are all in an easy-to-see, neat little package. It’s the perfect summer of rejuvenation blend.

What is also heartening to see is rock stars that still are pounding out the summer tours, when they really probably shouldn’t be out there, onstage. Case in point: Ozzy Osbourne.

Granted, it would be difficult to have Ozzfest — you know the tour where everyone wears black even thought it’s in the summer and the eyeliner is doomed to melt in streams down the cheeks — without namesake Ozzy. Even though Ozzy is in his early 50s, lets face it, his body’s real age is something in the three-digit range. Or four-digit. Yet, there he is, up there screaming expletive, unintelligible sounds, stamping his feet, running around and yelling, “”Rock and Roll!””

He is the Prince of Darkness, after all.

Ozzy doesn’t need the money, and I’m sure it’s safer to have him sitting on the couch, covered in dog hair from his menagerie of animals. Voyeurs like myself feed off watching every move he makes on MTV, and I would like to see him yelling from the couch, rather than from the stage. At least I know he’s safe that way.

But I still love the old bugger. Ozzy’s can-do attitude and savvy business manager wife Sharon put together a major tour that includes Marilyn Manson and Korn, who could be making money with their own headlining tours, rather than under the Ozzfest umbrella. Altogether, it’s encouraging and pretty idealistic: Bands joined together for the common love of music, makeup and mayhem, performing for the common man. Bravo, Ozzy.

Then there’s the Warped Tour, the traveling rock circus where all fans get sunburned no matter what SPF they slap on their noses. The Warped Tour is always a really long day, staged in a really hot parking lot and is swarming with people young and old. Eight years after it’s genesis, the tour is still going strong with 50 rotating bands and a grueling tour schedule.

But still, the bands play on. They play, and they like it.

Bigger acts for this year’s Warped Tour like Rancid, the Dropkick Murphy’s, Me First and the Gimme Gimme’s round out the lineup. It’s summertime; it’s outside; there are mohawks, barbecues and heatstroke. It’s all the elements of the perfect summer activity.

Though it makes me feel special when the tours come to me, there are a few that I’d consider worthy of a roadtrip.

Mini-festivals like Field Day, Bonnarro and Bumbershoot make me wish I earned more money. Field Day is an ephemeral, bright and shining moment in June on the grassy fields of Riverhead, New York. It’s like all my CDs pulled a Pinnochio and became real live people, playing just for me. Radiohead, Beastie Boys, Beck, Sigur Ros, the Roots and Elliot Smith are just a few to be singing under the stars.

Now that’s a concert I would miss the weekend before finals for.

Bonnarro boasts two shows, one in Tennessee and in one in New York. (Why the heck does New York get all the mind-blowing concerts? It’s only the culture capital of the country. Whatever). The Tennessee show is sold out, but on June 13 through June 15, remember that somewhere Neil Young and Crazy Horse, the Flaming Lips and Lucinda Williams are all playing together on a farm. Road Trip New York is still possible, as access to the August 8 through August 10 festival is still available. Bob Dylan and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will be there with all their rock star history baggage. Amazing, really.

The Los Angeles concert All Tomorrow’s Parties L.A. featuring Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, the Breeders, Patti Smith among others is just a hop, skip and long ride in traffic away, but is in the trend of the festival concert and worth the effort.

Then R.E.M. makes an appearance at Bumbershoot in Seattle on August 29. It’s one last hurrah before the summer of rejuvenation winds down, and lead singer Michael Stipe is someone to give a proper swan song.

I wish this phenomenon wasn’t during a time where I’ll have to save pocket change for months even to think about buying a ticket. I wish the festivals would just let me in for free. On a more selfless note, however, a summer like this that had fresh festival tours, was sorely missed. (Note: Summer Sanitarium Tour featuring Limp Bizkit, Metallica, Linkin Park and Deftones, purposely omitted).

It’s going to be one full, musical, sweaty summer of rejuvenation.