WHEN most of the country is trying to beat the heat, we in New York City – the concert capital of the world – cool off by waiting for the sun to go down, the better to heat the beat.

What it lacks in freshness, this summer’s lineup more than makes up for with crowd pleasers. Think of it as a wormhole in time where you can rediscover how the Rolling Stones, The Who, Elvis Costello and Carlos Santana were – and are still – able to shake, rattle and roll the world.

It’s not all a blast from the past. Eminem’s back in the driver’s seat (touring to support his great new disc), hip geezer Bowie is holding hands with hipper Moby for the Area 2 tour, and jazzy-jill Norah Jones – one of this year’s brightest newcomers – is hitting the stage tonight.

Here’s who’s playing:

JUNE

Tonight: Norah Jones – Town Hall

Tonight: Nashville Pussy – Irving Plaza

Tonight: Dan Fogelberg – Westbury Music Fair

Tomorrow: K-ROCK Dysfunctional Family Picnic featuring Korn, System of a Down, Incubus Papa Roach, Hoobastank and the Strokes – Jones Beach

9: The Dells, the Manhattans — Beacon Theatre

9: Alanis Morissette – Jones Beach

13: Ben Folds (without Five) – Roseland Ballroom

14: Lewis Black – Town Hall

14: Usher & Faith Evans – Jones Beach

15: Patti La Belle – Radio City Music Hall

17: Bad Company – Beacon Theatre

18: Trey Anastasio (Phish phrontman) – Radio City Music Hall

18: The Flatlanders – Irving Plaza

18 & 19: Elvis Costello – Beacon Theatre

19: KMFDM featuring PIG – Irving Plaza

19: Bernadette Peters – Radio City Music Hall

20: Doves – Hammerstein Ballroom

21: Melissa Etheridge – Jones Beach

21: The Winans Family – Radio City Music Hall

21: Incubus – Madison Square Garden

20 & 21: Johnny Mathis – Westbury Music Fair

22: Jewel – Jones Beach

23: Deep Purple – Jones Beach

24: Korn/Puddle of Mudd – Madison Square Garden

24: Simple Minds/Inxs – Beacon Theatre

26 & 27: Cher with Cyndi Lauper – Madison Square Garden

27: Inxs/Simple Minds – Jones Beach

27 & 28: The Tragically Hip – Irving Plaza

30: Linda Ronstadt – Jones Beach

30: Cher with Cyndi Lauper – Nassau Coliseum

30: Guinness Carifest with Buju Banton, Bounty Killer and assorted dancehall reggae stars – Randalls Island

JULY

2: Cher with Cyndi Lauper – Meadowlands Arena

2: Superchunk – Roseland Ballroom

6: Britney Spears with Nikka Costa – Meadowlands Arena

6: Harry Belafonte – Westbury Music Fair

7: Marc Anthony – Jones Beach

9: Britney Spears with Nikka Costa – Nassau Coliseum

9: Poison/Cinderella – Jones Beach

10: Heart – Beacon Theatre

11: Vince Gil – Westbury Music Fair

12: Marc Anthony – Madison Square Garden

12: Judy Collins – Westbury Music Fair

12: Chicago – Jones Beach

13: Andrea Bocelli – Madison Square Garden

13: Chris Isaak/Natalie Merchant – Jones Beach

13 & 14: Linda Eder – Westbury Music Fair

14: Phil Lesh & Friends – Jones Beach

15: Rush – Jones Beach

16: Guided by Voices – Irving Plaza

16: Three Dog Night – Westbury Music Fair

17: Alicia Keys – Jones Beach

17: Mountain featuring Leslie West – Westbury Music Fair

18: Frankie Avalon with Fabian and Bobby Rydell – Westbury Music Fair

19: The String Cheese Incident – Radio City Music Hall

19: Lenny Kravitz/Pink – Jones Beach

19: Neil Finn – Irving Plaza

20: John Mellencamp – Jones Beach

20: David Cassidy – Westbury Music Fair

22: Weezer – Jones Beach

23: Los Lobos – Irving Plaza

23: Diana Ross – Westbury Music Fair

23: Blondie/B-52’s – Jones Beach

24: Bruce Hornsby – Westbury Music Fair

26: Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes – Westbury Music Fair

26: Anger Management Tour with Eminem, Ludacris, Papa Roach – Jones Beach

26 & 31: The Who with Robert Plant – Madison Square Garden

30: Art Garfunkel – Westbury Music Fair

31: Barry Manilow – Jones Beach

AUGUST

1, 3 & 4: The Who with Robert Plant – Madison Square Garden

1: Air Supply – Westbury Music Fair

2: Area 2 featuring Moby, David Bowie and Busta Rhymes – Jones Beach

3: Peter Paul & Mary – Westbury Music Fair

3: Yes – Jones Beach

4: Little Richard with Chuck Berry – Westbury Music Fair

4: Smokin’ Grooves featuring Lauryn Hill & OutKast – Jones Beach

5: Yes – Radio City Music Hall

6 & 7: The Beach Boys – Westbury Music Fair

7: Mary J. Blige – Jones Beach

7: Ray Charles – Beacon Theatre

8: The Charlie Daniels Band – Westbury Music Fair

9 & 10: Santana – Jones Beach

11: Pat Benatar – Westbury Music Fair

11: Lyle Lovett with Bonnie Raitt – Jones Beach

13: Huey Lewis & the News – Westbury Music Fair

13: The Allman Brothers Band – Jones Beach

13 & 14: Oasis – Beacon Theatre

14: Sheryl Crow with Train, O.A.R., Ziggy Marley – Jones Beach

14: The Temptations – Westbury Music Fair

15: Daryl Hall & John Oates – Jones Beach

16: Goo Goo Dolls Jones Beach

17: Trisha Yearwood – Westbury Music Fair

22: Natalie Cole – Jones Beach

24: Smokey Robinson – Westbury Music Fair

24: Jethro Tull with Suzanne Vega – Jones Beach

25: Kenny Rogers – Westbury Music Fair

27: Jimmy Buffet – Jones Beach

27: The Guess Who – Westbury Music Fair

28 & 29: Diana Krall – Westbury Music Fair

30: Eddie Money with Loverboy – Westbury Music Fair

31: Wayne Newton – Westbury Music Fair

SEPTEMBER

8: B.B. King with Chuck Berry – Jones Beach

13: Aaron Carter – Jones Beach

14: Dream Theater – Jones Beach

20: Michael Bolton – Jones Beach

21: Toby Keith – Jones Beach

23: Billy Joel and Elton John – Madison Square Garden

25: Billy Joel & Elton John – Nassau Coliseum

26: The Rolling Stones – Madison Square Garden

27: Elton John & Billy Joel – Nassau Coliseum

28: The Rolling Stones – Meadowlands arena

30: The Rolling Stones – Roseland Ballroom

WHERE TO CALL FOR TIX:

Madison Square Garden, (212) 465-6741

Nassau Coliseum, (516) 794-9300

Jones Beach Theater, (516) 221-1000

Beacon Theatre, (212) 496-7070

Hammerstein Ballroom, (212) 279-7740

Roseland Ballroom, (212) 247-0200

Irving Plaza, (212) 777-6800

Radio City Music Hall, (212) 247-4777

Meadowlands Arena, (201) 935-3900

Town Hall, (212) 840-2824