Apparently this past weekend was “National Run Your Listicle-ish Summer Concert Preview” for many of this nation’s finer newspapers, as my RSS feed was stuffed with “top five” and “top 10″ lists of tours and festivals from newspapers around the country. While they’re distinct in their regional biases (the Seattle Times rundown is festival-heavy; the USA Today one sticks with nation-storming stalwarts) the writers share one thing in common: they really really like Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Or at least want to sort of feel like they’re at a Led Zeppelin show. Highlights of five summer show previews after the jump.

Dan Aquilante, New York Post
Top show: True Colors tour feat. Cyndi Lauper, Joan Jett, and Rosie O’Donnell (”I guess that’s when you go for beers”–stay classy, Aquilante! )
Head-scratcher: Coldplay’s MSG date for best free show? Out of every free show in New York City? Where there’s one daily during the summer?
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss mention: Yes (”Best country concert… a marriage of harmony”)

USA TODAY
Top show: Kenny Chesney (”Chesney is determined to deliver: After his foot got trapped between the stage and a hydraulic lift while making his entrance in Columbia, S.C., he performed for nearly two hours before seeking medical attention.”)
Head-scratcher: What, no mention of the huge margaritas at Chesney’s shows?
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss mention: Yes (”among the most distinctive and celebrated singers of their respective generations”

Ray Waddell, Billboard
Top show: R.E.M. (”People are excited about R.E.M. because R.E.M. is excited about R.E.M,” says indie promoter Seth Hurwitz.)
Head-scratcher: The Hinder/Staind/3 Doors Down tornado catalyst as one of the entire touring world’s top five tickets? Really? Perhaps he was just being nice since lawn seats are only $25.
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss mention: Yes (”Another one of those ‘catch it while you can’ tours”)

Seattle Times
Top show: The big Sub Pop extravaganza SP20, duh.
Head-scratcher: Hey Seattle-based journalist, I think the reuniting “originator long disbanded” that you’re talking about is Green River, not Mudhoney. (I know, I know, it’s tough waiting at all for new music from them.)
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss mention: No–but that may only be because they’re not yet scheduled to play Seattle this summer.

Jim DeRogatis, Chicago Sun-Times
Top show: DeRo’s shows are listed chronologically arranged, so first up is Kanye West’s Glow In The Dark Tour (”raising the bar once again for live hip-hop”)
Head-scratcher: No real stinkers here, although I would like to say that I’m 100% jealous over Stevie Wonder’s free show at Taste of Chicago–and the mere mention of the food fest is making me hungry to boot.
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss mention: Yes, albeit a lukewarm one (”this is as close as we’re going to get to Led Zeppelin this summer”–awww.)