National Geographic Music (National Geographic)

Nat Geo Music's editorial staff has compiled a short list of must-see tours for the summer of 2008. From afropop titans Seun Kuti and Orchestra Baobab to the homegrown American cross cultural sounds of Dengue Fever and Rupa and the April Fishes to the punky ska mayhem of the Warped tour, we've got your bases covered.

Seun Kuti & Egypt 80

Direct from Lagos, Nigeria, Seun Kuti (pictured) is the youngest son of afrobeat legend Fela Kuti embarks on his first major North American tour in support of his debut CD, Many Things.

6/20 Grand Performances, Los Angeles, CA
6/21 El Rey Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
6/22 Stern Grove, San Francisco, CA
6/23 Matel Center, Redway, CA
6/25 Vancouver Jazz, Vancouver, BC
6/26 TBA, Cumberland, British Columbia
6/27 Victorial Jazz Festival, Victoria, BC
6/28 The Moore, Seattle, WA
6/30 House of Blues, Chicago, IL
7/2 Harbourfront, Toronto, Ontario
7/3 Sunfest, London, Ontario
7/4 Comerica Festival, Detroit, MI
7/5 World Cafe Live, Philadelphia, PA
7/6 Central Park Summerstage, New York, NY
7/7 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
7/10 Ottawa Blues Fest, Ottawa, Ontario
7/11 Festival d'été de Québec, Quebec City, Quebec
7/12 Winnipeg Folk Festival, Winnipeg, Manitoba
7/13 Nuits d'Afrique, Montreal, Quebec

Orchestra Baobab:

Senegalese afropop giants Orchestra Baobob return to North American stages this summer in support of their new album. Made In Dakar.

6/5 Yoshi's, San Francisco, CA
6/6 Yoshi's, San Francisco, CA
6/7 Yoshi's, Oakland, CA
6/8 Yoshi's, Oakland, CA
6/10 Rio Theatre Santa Cruz, CA
6/11 Opera House, Napa, CA
6/13 Alladin Theatre, Portland, Oregon
6/15 Bonnaroo Festival Manchester, TN
6/17 Iron Horse Northampton, MA
6/18 World Music Festival New Haven, CT
6/19 Birchmere, Washington DC
6/21 Somerville Theatre, Boston, MA
6/22 World Cafe, Philadelphia, PA
6/24 Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH
6/25 River to River Festival, New York, NY
6/26 BAM Festival, Brooklyn, New York
6/28 Millenium Park, Chicago, IL
6/29 World Music Festival Madison, WI
6/30 Dakota Jazz, Minneapolis, MN

Dengue Fever

L.A.'s Dengue Fever reinvent Cambodian pop with a side order of psychedlia and indie rock. Catch their unique sonic blend this summer in selected cities across the U.S.

6/7 Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco, CA
6/14 Juneteenth Celebration @ M.L.K Park, Long Beach, CA
6/21 Make Music Pasadena, Pasadena, CA
7/5 Central Park Summerstage, NY, NY
7/6 Black Cat, Washington, DC
7/7 Johnny Brenda's, Philadelphia, PA
7/8 Iron Horse, Northampton, MA
7/9 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
7/11 Empty Bottle, Chicago, Illinois
7/12 Central Park, NY, NY

Rupa and the April Fishes

Led by diminutive firecracker Rupa Mayra, San Francisco's Rupa and the April Fishes their their unique, post-modern, post-colonial cabaret sound on the road in the U.S and Canada this summer.

6/29 Central Park Summerstage, New York, NY
7/1 Johnny D's, Somerville, MA
7/2 One Longfellow SquarePortland, ME
7/4 Festival d'Arte, Quebec City, QC
7/5 Montreal Jazz Festival, Montreal, QC
7/25 Grand Performances, Los Angeles, CA
7/26 Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA
8/9 Regina Folk Festival, Regina, SK
8/18 Sunnyvale Theater, Sunnyvale, CA
8/24 Outside Lands Festival, San Francisco, CA
10/21 CMJ Music Festival, New York, NY

Warped Tour

As always, ska, reggae and international sounds get fair play alongside fast-n-loud punk rawk on the venerable Warped Tour. This year rocksteady rebels The Aggrolites, Canadian dub rockers Bedouin Soundclash and Catalan indie rockers The Pinker Tones join veterans Pennywise, Matisyahu and the Bouncing Souls, among others.

6/20 Fairplex Park, Pomona, CA
6/21 Pier 30/32, San Francisco, CA
6/22 Seaside Park, Ventura, CA
6/25 Cricket Wireless Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ
6/26 New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
6/28 Utah State Fair, Salt Lake City, UT
6/29 Invesco Field, Denver, CO
7/1 Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, St Louis, MO
7/2 Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Bonner Springs, KS
7/3 Superpages.com Center, Dallas, TX
7/5 Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Selma, TX
7/6 Sam Houston Race Park, Houston, TX
7/9 Lakewood Exhibition Center, Atlanta, GA
7/10 Central Florida Fairgrounds, Orlando, FL
7/11 Vinoy Park, Petersburg, FL
7/12 Bicentennial Park, Miami, FL
7/13 St Johns County Fairgrounds, Elkton, FL
7/14 Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Charlotte, NC
7/15 Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Virginia Beach, VA
7/16 Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD
7/17 Time Warner Cable Amphitheater, Cleveland, OH
7/18 Comerica Park, Detroit, MI
7/19 Downsview Park Allen Road, Toronto, ON
7/20 Park Jean Drapeau, Montreal, QC
7/23 Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts, Mansfield, MA
7/24 Darien Lake P.A.C., Darien Center, NY
7/25 Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
7/26 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
7/27 Toyota Pavilion, Scranton, PA
7/28 Raceway Park, Englishtown, NJ
7/29 Post Gazette Pavilion, Pittsburgh, PA
7/30 Riverbend Amphitheatre, Cincinnati, OH
8/1 Marcus Amphitheater, Milwaukee, WI
8/2 First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, IL
8/3 Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN
8/55 Credit Union Centre, Saskatoon, SK
8/66 Race City Speedway, Calgary, AB
8/88 Idaho Center Amphitheatre, Nampa, ID
8/9 Gorge Amphitheatre, George, WA
8/10 Columbia Meadows, St. Helens, OR
8/13 Save Mart Center, Fresno, CA
8/14 Coors Amphitheater, Chula Vista, CA
8/15 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
8/16 Sleep Train Amphitheatre, Marysville, CA
8/17 The Home Depot Center, Carson, CA