The year 2009 has crossed the midway line, and I've seen some fine shows in the first six months of the year. Some of them have been in Lincoln, but just as many have been in venues in Omaha, Austin and Washington, D.C.

While compiling the Ground Zero concert calendar each month, I make a list of the out-of-town concerts I'm planning to catch. I'm passing that list along here with some commentary on why it's worth a drive of an hour or three to see and hear these artists.

July 18: Sonic Youth, Uptown Theatre, Kansas City; Neko Case, Slowdown, Omaha. A couple weeks ago at New York's Whitney Museum of American Art, I got into a bit of a disagreement with Dan Graham about Sonic Youth's new record "The Eternal." Graham, a pioneering conceptual/performance/video artist whose retrospective show is on view at the Whitney, is a longtime friend of SY's Kim Gordon and Thurston Moore.

He argued that "The Eternal" only recycles Moore's best ideas. My point was there's nothing wrong with that: It sounds great. So I'm leaning toward heading to K.C. to catch SY rather than going to Omaha for the brilliant Ms. Case, who put out another superb album, "Middle Cyclone," earlier this year. She's got one of the best voices in all of music and I'd hate to miss her. Choices, choices.

July 21: Those Darlins, Slowdown, Omaha. I caught Those Darlins twice at South By Southwest and even shelled out for an EP. The all-female Tennessee trio, which just released its debut album, is highly entertaining and plays an irresistible mix of punkish rockabilly and pop. The only problem: They're playing the same time Scott H. Biram is at the Bourbon Theatre here. Again, choices, choices.

Aug. 5: Shooter Jennings, Horseshoe Casino, Council Bluffs. Here's a more clear-cut option. I'm a major Shooter fan, and it's my birthday. So it's a trip up I-80 for "Fourth of July," "Walk of Life" and anything else Waylon's boy wants to do.

Aug. 8: Pete Yorn, Horseshoe Casino, Council Bluffs. Every time I've seen Yorn, he's been excellent. This show is of particular interest because he's returning to the Omaha metro (there's a phrase I thought I'd never use). He recorded "Back and Fourth" in the Big O with producer Mike Mogis.

Aug. 13: Green Day, Qwest Center, Omaha. Green Day's "21st Century Breakdown" is one of the best records of 2009 and stretches the band toward arena rock. It will be fascinating to see how that translates live. I'm guessing the show will be great - as has been the case with previous Green Day concerts.

Aug. 18: Blondie, The Crossroads, Kansas City. Living on the East Coast in the late '70s, I saw all the early punk bands save one: Blondie. I've never seen Deborah Harry and company live, and this might be the last chance for a while, perhaps ever. So it's a drive to K.C.

Aug. 20: The Pretenders, Harrah's Stir Cove, Council Bluffs. The Pretenders remain one of the world's great rock 'n' roll bands fronted by one of the most compelling personalities in music, the force of nature named Chrissie Hynde. Hynde and The Pretenders put out their best record in years in 2008 with "Break Up The Concrete" and have been touring extensively, which is almost a guarantee of a superb show.

I know I won't make it to all of these shows. But I'll be hitting most of them and wishing I were at the rest. Perhaps I'll see you at one or two.

Reach L. Kent Wolgamott at 473-7244 or kwolgamott@journalstar.com.