Normally, summertime means that most bands, and many listeners, do their level best to flee the city. As a result, the selection for rock and pop listeners is much more limited than during the regular school year. Nonetheless, there will be some gems in the dust heap of national biggies grace Boston and environs.

The most mega of these national biggest is, as everywhere else, the Jackson tour, which, despite the best efforts of assholic local pols, may yet make it to Sullivan Stadium, actually near the Rhode Island border, in early August. Stay tuned and hope.

Until then, the place to be will be the Orpheum Theater, which will feature a steady stream of popular progressive bands, starting with King Crimson (July 5) and psychedelic Furs (July 18), and R.E.M. (July 19).

The reinvigorated Concerts on the Common will feature an equally star-studded if somewhat less adventurous, line-up, that includes Joe Jackson (June 25), the Go-Go's (June 29), return performances from Al Jarreau, James Taylor, and Chicago, as well as appearances by the Eurythmics, the Thompson Twins, George Benson, and dinosaurs the Moody Blues, the Everly Brothers, and Herb Alpert.

Arena rock mavens will find the going tough, since most bands wishing to make a profit refuse the prohibitive cut demanded by the Boston Garden. Bands, if they touch base here at all, will do it either at the Worcester Centrum or the Providence Civic Center, or both. You can reach both by bus, or drive for an hour through scenic high wayland. During the summer, bands like the Talking Heads and Elvis Costello braved the stifling heat to go where Bostonians are in July and August--namely Cape Cod. But the gruesome Colineum in north Yarmouth has bit the dust. Where the summer tours of the likes of Elvis and the Heads will play instead is al yet unbeknownst to The Crimson. Bryce Springsteen is also expected to play in the area this summer.

Local boys made good The Cars, however, will definitely be playing Worcester August 1 and 2, with the bland Wang Chung. The Pretenders play a week later.

Judy Collins, Utopia, and Bonnie Raitt are booked in Winter Island near Salem, and the great B.B. King will play in Salem.

For those who like to see who's playing the music they're paid to see, Jonathan Swift's Pub on JFK St.--right in the Square--will have some of the best music in the city, though the club's predilection for second-rate flower-power music on occasionally be a snoozer. Mixed in with the old folkies and local clone bands will be some goodies, including Steve Forbert (June 25), Koko Taylor (June 28), and local preppies the Sex Execs (June29)

The Inn Square Men's Bar-a 15-minute trek up Cambridge St. to Inman Square--usually has a pretty adventurous booking policy, though the summertime seems to have brought an onslaught of clone bands. The Bar does, however have a rep for booking little-known talented bands and, contrary to its name, it's not a gay bar.

The most interesting local hangout is currently Chet's Last Call, a scummy dive near Boston Garden, which is reportedly the last place in Boston that will play hardcore on a regular basis.

The Rat and Storyville, in scenic Kenmore Square, both feature bad ambience and good local and national acts. The Rat is preferable for its recently opened bar and bistro just above the subterranean club.

The Channel is the city's biggest, and least accessible, club, located on the edge of South Boston, just over the channel from South Station. Though many bands that would play there go to the Cape in the summer, The Channel still offers some big name bands close-up. Popular reggae band Steel Pulse plays there Tuesday, New York poet-punk-heroin addict Jim Carroll on Thursday, Ministry on June 30, poppy ska band Bad Manners July 14, and the inevitable milking of the success of rock parody. This is Spinal Tap. The band will-play. The Channel July 7, and watching the audience may be more interesting than watching the show. One fears for our culture.

A warning about going to The Channel: all evening shows end after the subway closes, so be prepared to shell out up to $10 to get back to Harvard, if you can find a cab. Otherwise, you may have to hoof it to the Common.

The Metro, Paradise, and Spit round out the concert scene, and the three are the most established in the area, because they are run by the biggest music strongman in town, Don Law.

Also of interest are a series of harbor cruises called Bestcruine, featuring middling talent like local popsters the Stompers. One exception is Former New York Doll David Johansen June 30.