Summer may be cooling down as those hot August nights give way to crisp September evenings.

But on the live concert front, temperatures are rising, practically to the boiling point.

With steam coming out the sides.

For proof, we offer the following countdown of the next four months' worth of the big touring music, comedy and variety events coming to Central Illinois' major performance venues.

It begins next weekend and continues through year's end.

As massive as this outlay of options may appear, the season is still evolving, with more announcements due in the weeks ahead. So stay tuned to GO!'s weekly Calendar listings for the latest updates and developments.

SEPTEMBER

• 9-4: Jordin Sparks and Jesse McCartney, 7 p.m.: double the pop, with the sixth season "American Idol" champ and the boy-band grad pairing off; Prairie Capital Convention Center.

• 9-5: American English, 7 p.m.: the popular Beatles tribute band in an outdoor freebie show; Lakeview Museum lawn, Peoria.

• 9-5: Grupo Fantasma, 7 p.m.; orchestral funk/Latin band kicking off the Krannert season with a $5 lobby show; U of I Krannert Center

• 9-6: The Fab Four, 7:30 p.m.; another Beatles tribute band, which Monkee Mickey Dolenz calls "some of the most talented musicians I've ever heard"; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 9-6: Vance Gilbert, 8 p.m.; singer-songwriter returns for more as the Blue Moon's season opener; IWU Blue Moon Coffeehouse.

• 9-6/7: Traditional Music Festival, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.: demonstrations and performances of 19th-century music; New Salem State Historic Site, Petersburg.

• 9-7: The Avett Brothers, 8 p.m.; cult folk-rock-bluegrass quartet from North Carolina; Canopy Club.

• 9-9: Cross Canadian Ragweed, 7 p.m.; the Oklahoma quartet with Top 10 country albums like "Soul Gravy" and "Mission California" on their resume; Riverfront Festival Park, Peoria.

• 9-9: Punch Brothers with Chris Thile, 7:30 p.m.: the Nickel Creek mandolin man and his side band; Canopy Club.

• 9-10/11/12/13: Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus' Boom A Ring, various times; the circus' latest indoor touring opus; U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

• 9-13: Craig Morgan, 7:30 p.m.; purveyor of back-to-back No. 1 country hits; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 9-13: DBR, 7:30 p.m.: the classical-rock composer (Daniel Bernard Roumain) world-premieres his new work, "Darwin's Meditation for the People of Lincoln; Millikin University Kirkland Fine Arts Center.

• 9-13: The Infamous Stringdusters, 8 p.m.; New Wave bluegrass group and winner of the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association's Song of the Year Award; ISU Center for the Performing Arts.

• 9-13: pureNRG, 7 p.m.; youthful Christian pop trio and Radio Disney mainstays; Eastview Christian Church, Bloomington.

• 9-13: Second City's DeFace the Nation, 8 p.m.; election-year nirvana for the improv troupe; Virginia Theater, Champaign.

• 9-13: A Tribute to Dan Fogelberg, 2-9 p.m.; fest for the late Peoria native headlined by John Sebastian; Glen Oak Park Amphitheater, Peoria.

• 9-16: Chicago, 8 p.m.: less than a year after their last show here, the pop vets return for seconds; U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

• 9-17: Aasif Mandvi, 7:30 p.m.: mirth-making correspondent for "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart"; Eureka College Cerf Center.

• 9-17: Motion City Soundtrack, 6 p.m.: Minneapolis pop-punk quintet; Canopy Club.

• 9-19: Rascal Flatts and Taylor Swift, 8 p.m.; the Grammy-winning country trio meets the hit-making singer-songwriter; Peoria Civic Center.

• 9-19: Ron White, 7:30 p.m.; the Blue Collar Comedy alum takes to the stage with his full glass one more time; Peoria Civic Center.

• 9-20: John McDermott, 8 p.m.; the Scots-Canadian tenor world famous for his "Danny Boy" rendition; Peoria Civic Center.

• 9-20: SONia, 8 p.m.; Sonia Rutstein of the group "disappear fear" and a long-runner in the "Blue Moon favorites" category; IWU Blue Moon Coffeehouse.

• 9-20: Yo La Tengo, Grampall Jookabox and High Places, 7:30 p.m.; the quirky indie rock trio is joined by two of their equally offbeat peers; U of I Krannert Center.

• 9-20/21: Scrap Arts Music Ensemble, 7:30 and 2 p.m.; purveyors of, and performers on, industrial scrap materials; Millikin University Kirkland Fine Arts Center.

• 9-21: Blues Blowtorch Society Blues Festival, 1-6 p.m.; newly minted fall blues fest at Bloomington's Tri-Lakes, with high-caliber headliners like Lil' Dave Thompson and Black Magic Johnson.

• 9-21: The Booth Brothers, 4 p.m.; the Nashville gospel group in a Midwest Food Bank fund-raiser; Second Presbyterian Church, Bloomington.

• 9-21: Monte Montgomery, 7 p.m.: one of Guitar Player magazine's "50 Greatest Guitarists of All Time"; Canopy Club.

• 9-21: Seether, Saving Abel and Black Stone Cherry, 7:30 p.m.; rock triple-header with no decibel counts barred; Peoria Civic Center.

• 9-23: Chicago Symphony Orchestra, 7:30 p.m.; conducted by Charles Dutoit, with violin Robert Chen; U of I Krannert Center.

• 9-25: Ruthie Foster, 7:30 p.m.; the Austin folk-blues sensation kicks off the BCPA's downstairs "Underground" series; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 9-27: Bang On a Can All-Stars with Glenn Kotche & Lee Ranaldo, noon-midnight; the rock-classical-jazz ensemble are joined by Wilco's Kotche and Sonic Youth's Ranaldo for a 12-hour (!) rock marathon, "give or take a few hours"; U of I Krannert Center.

• 9-27: King of the Cage, Punishment, 7:30 p.m.: live in a cage - mixed-martial-arts blood, sweat & tears; U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

• 9-27: The Capitol Steps, 7:30 p.m.; the Washington, D.C.-begat political satire troupe return the BCPA for seconds; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 9-27: Dennis Stella & The Blue Suede Shoes, 5 p.m.: Elvis tribute band; Pells Park, Paxton.

• 9-27: Tab Benoit, 8 p.m.: the former Nothin' But the Blues Fest headliner brings his brand of Cajun blues back to town; New Lafayette Club, Bloomington.

• 9-28: World Famous Lipizzaner Stallions, 2 and 6 p.m.; the Austrian high-steppers prance, march and promenade our way once again; U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

OCTOBER

• 10-2: Carrie Underwood and Little Big Town, 7:30 p.m.; the "American Idol" champ meets the platinum-selling country quartet; U of I Assembly Hall.

• 10-2: Sphinx Chamber Orchestra and The Harlem Quartet, 7:30 p.m.; string ensembles featuring black and Hispanic competition winners; U of I Krannert Center.

• 10-5: Saxton's Cornet Band, 2 p.m.; the recreation of a Civil War- and antebellum-era brass band presents "Lincoln and Liberty, Too!"; Millikin University Kirkland Fine Arts Center.

• 10-6: Anne-Sophie Mutter and Camerata Salzburg, 7:30 p.m.; the violin sensation is joined by the famed Austrian chamber ensemble; U of I Krannert Center.

• 10-7: Blind Boys of Alabama and Preservation Hall Jazz Band, 7:30 p.m.; gospel meets jazz in this old-school square-off; U of I Krannert Center.

• 10-7/8: The Backyardigans Live! The Tale of the Mighty Knights, 7 p.m.; King Pablo & Co.'s latest touring adventure for the young-'uns; U of I Assembly Hall.

• 10-9: Alan Jackson and Trace Adkins, 7:30 p.m.; the country double-header to beat this fall, and there are several strong contenders; U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

• 10-9: Randy Newman, 7:30 p.m.; the wry singer-songwriter in a rare Central Illinois performance; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 10-10: Sones de Mexico, 7:30 p.m.; Mexican folk song-and-dance troupe; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 10-11: Mike Super, 7:30 p.m.: the winner of NBC's "Phenomenon" magic reality series, who promises to make a locally-produced Mitsubishi car disappear before our eyes; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 10-12: Death Cab For Cutie, 7:30 p.m.; the American indie rock quartet from the Pacific Northwest; U of I Assembly Hall.

• 10-14: Cross Canadian Ragweed, 6:30 p.m.; see above; Canopy Club.

• 10-14: k.d. lang, 7:30 p.m.; the Grammy-winning cowgirl heads south; U of I Krannert Center.

• 10-15: NBC's 'Last Comic Standing' Live Tour, 7:30 p.m.; finalists from the sixth season of the clownfest; U of I Assembly Hall.

• 10-15: Skating for Life Benefiting Susan G. Komen for the Cure Starring Sara Evans, 7:30 p.m.; live taping of an NBC TV special hosted by Peggy Fleming and sporting a dozen-odd skating champs and singer Evans; U.S. Cellular Coliseum, Bloomington.

• 10-16: Ian Moore, 7:30 p.m.; Seattle-based blues-rock cult favorite in a BCPA "Underground" concert; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 10-17: Lucky Boys Confusion, 9 p.m.; one of Chicago's top rock bands; Canopy Club.

• 10-18: Melissa Ferrick, 8 p.m.; a return engagement for the fiery singer-songwriter; IWU Blue Moon Coffeehouse.

• 10-22: GWAR, 8 p.m.: the long-running thrash metal anarchists; Canopy Club.

• 10-23: Richard Goode, 7:30 p.m.: classical pianist par excellence; U of I Krannert Center.

• 10-23: Yonder Mountain String Band, 8 p.m.; the progressive bluegrass-jam band returns; Canopy Club.

• 10-24: Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and The Pied Pipers, 7:30 p.m.; Swing Era icons unite; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 10-24: Larry the Cable Guy, 8 p.m.; still gittin'-'r-done lo these many Central Illinois appearances later; Peoria Civic Center.

• 10-25: Creation Festival: The Tour, 7:30 p.m.; the A-list Christian rock-pop music fest, sporting Kutless, Thousand Foot Krutch, Pillar, Fireflight, Run Kid Run and more; U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

• 10-25: Los Lobos, 7:30 p.m.; the "La Bamba" boys come to town for their first-ever B-N concert; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 10-26: David Crosby and Graham Nash, 7 p.m.; the long-time rock cronies pair off on a doubles tour; Sangamon Auditorium.

• 10-29: Atmosphere, 9 p.m.; indie hip-hop duo from Minneapolis; Canopy Club.

• 10-29: The Classic Rock Experience, 7p.m.; touring multi-media rock show with music of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and AC/DC; U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

• 10-30: Guarneri String Quartet, 7:30 p.m.; the 45-year-old quartet brings its farewell tour to the U of I; U of I Krannert Center.

• 10-31: The Capitol Steps, 8 p.m.; see above; Sangamon Auditorium.

NOVEMBER

• 11-1: Paul Rodriguez, 7:30 p.m.; the original Latin King of Comedy himself: Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 11-5: 2008 Tour of Gymnastics Superstars, 7 p.m.; the Team U.S. Olympic gymnast tour with Shawn Johnson, Nastia Liukin, Chellsie Memmel, Paul Hamm and others; U of I Assembly Hall.

• 11-6: Anthony Brown's Asian American Orchestra, 7:30 p.m.; eclectic orchestra led by the son of an African-American/Choctaw serviceman and his Japanese war bride; U of I Krannert Center.

• 11-7: Song and Dance Ensemble of West Africa, 8 p.m.; family-aimed concert by the touring West African ensemble; Sangamon Auditorium.

• 11-12: Song and Dance Ensemble of West Africa, 7:30 p.m.; see above; U of I Krannert Center.

• 11-15: Krista Detor, 8 p.m.; the critically hailed Carrie Newcomer collaborator headlines her own show (she opened for Newcomer her last time around); IWU Blue Moon Coffeehouse.

• 11-15: Dresden Staatskapelle, 7:30 p.m.; the centuries-old German orchestra, conducted by Fabio Luisi and featuring cellist Jan Vogler; U of I Krannert Center.

• 11-17/18: Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular, three shows; the high-kicking Rockettes & Co. get down to holiday business; Peoria Civic Center.

• 11-19: Takacs Quartet and Muzsikas with Marta Sebestyen, 7:30 p.m.; two acclaimed chamber ensembles, from Eastern Europe, with love; U of I Krannert Center.

• 11-21: Disney Live! Winnie the Pooh, 6:30 p.m.; a showcase for the honey-loving bear and cronies; Prairie Capital Convention Center.

• 11-22: Bjorn Again, 7:30 p.m.; ABBA tribute band endorsed by the real Bjorn and Benny; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 11-22: Cherryholmes Christmas, 8 p.m.; the familial bluegrass group in a holiday performance; Sangamon Auditorium.

• 11-22: Disney Live! Winnie the Pooh, 1:30 p.m.; see above; U of I Assembly Hall.

DECEMBER

• 12-6: Ellis Paul, 1 and 8 p.m.; the troubadour performs a kid-friendly matinee then regroups that night for his regular performance; IWU Blue Moon Coffeehouse.

• 12-6: Bob & Tom Comedy All-Stars Tour, 7:30 p.m.: among them, Drew Hastings, Bob Zany, Larry Reeb, Patti Vasquez, Dwight Slade, Ralph Harris and Donnie Baker; Peoria Civic Center.

• 12-13: Ira Glass' Radio Stories and Other Stories, 8 p.m.; a night with the affable host of "This American Life," live; Sangamon Auditorium.

• 12-13: Cherish the Ladies' A Celtic Christmas, 7:30 p.m.; an encore BCPA performance by the Celtic-loving Ladies; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 12-20: Rockepella's A Rockepella Holiday, 7:30 p.m.; the top name in contemporary a cappella serenades the season; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

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Making contact

Contact information and locations for the venues mentioned in the accompanying fall entertainment preview:

• Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, Bloomington: (866) 686-9541

• Canopy Club, Urbana: (800) ETIX or www.etix.com

• IWU Blue Moon Coffeehouse, Bloomington: (309) 556-3815

• Millikin University Kirkland Fine Arts Center, Decatur: (217) 424-6318

• New Lafayette Club, Bloomington: www.ticketweb.com

• Peoria Civic Center, Peoria: (309) 673-3200

• Prairie Capital Convention Center, Springfield: (217) 788-8800

• Sangamon Auditorium, Springfield: (800) 207-6960

• Ticketmaster: (309) 454-5500

• Virginia Theater, Champaign: (217) 356-9063

• U of I Assembly Hall, Champaign: (217) 333-5000

• U of I Foellinger Auditorium, Champaign: (217) 333-5000

• U of I Krannert Center, Urbana: (217) 333-6280

• U.S. Cellular Coliseum, Bloomington: (866) 891-9992