Even with the heat beating down from dawn to dusk in the Southeast, music lovers have started to roll out to amphitheater concerts all over the region. Charlotte, Atlanta, Columbia and even Anderson will host outdoor concerts all summer long, and thousands upon thousands will hit the lawns with renewed fervor.

For those who have been to a few, the outdoor concert or music festival is something to revel in. There is a freedom about watching your favorite band or musician on stage while dancing in the grass or gazing at the stars. But there also is a good deal of planning necessary to make it worth the $40, $50, $60 or more it costs to go.

“The first thing I think of is always making sure to take as many friends as you can,” said Zach Taylor, 26, of Anderson.

Taylor is a musician with the band Peartree Music Company and a frequenter of concerts all over the Southeast. He said getting the most out of an outdoor concert starts with friends and ends with a killer show you will remember for the rest of your life.

“I want to talk to someone during the show and talk about the show with someone afterward,” Taylor continued. “It heightens it. The way I see it, the more the merrier.”

June and July will be big months for outdoor concerts and music festivals. Stevie Nicks, Steely Dan and Keller Williams will play the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater at Encore Park in Alpharetta, Ga. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Dave Matthews Band and Widespread Panic will perform at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Charlotte, N.C.

In August, Anderson’s William A. Floyd Amphitheater welcomes Randy Owens and The Wallflowers to the 2008 Great Southeast BalloonFest, and weekend music festivals will take place all over the nation.

For the one-night amphitheater shows, it’s important to show up early and hang out with the rest of the fans.

“The parking lot is almost as much fun as the concert itself,” said Brent Fawley, 28, of Abbeville. “Get to the show as early as they let you, and chill with everyone.”

Fawley and Taylor each said to bring a grill, cooler, drinks and a chair with you for a little tailgating before the show. After all, with ticket prices soaring for major concerts, you have to find a way to get your money’s worth.

When buying the tickets, Taylor suggested getting seats and avoiding the lawn if possible. These days, he explained, not everyone is there for the music.

“People can get a little crazy in the lawn, and I hate all that glowstick stuff that happens at concerts now,” Taylor said. “I want to see a concert, not be hit with something.”

As for the two- or three-day music festival, plan well, pack light, but bring enough to make the experience comfortable.

“Bring money, a tent, a cooler and a headlamp,” Taylor said. “Oh, and a chair. Something to sit on is essential.”

The other “essentials” can be left to whatever makes you comfy. And make sure to plan out who you want to see. Otherwise, youl certainly will miss an act or a show you paid good money to catch.

Quick checklist for the music festival

• Tent
• Cooler (fully stocked)
• Sleeping bags
• Headlamp or flashlight
• Backpack
• Change of clothes
• Chair
• Cash