ROCK, POP,COUNTRY & BLUES.

Byline: - Sandra Barrera

Sizzling, hot.

What else could be said about a concert season that's already shaping up to be better than the last? Consider Janet Jackson's arena spectacle, pulling into the Staples Center in support of her boldly perverse ``All for You'' disc.

The New York Post raved the show is a ``lust-see,'' while Variety summed it up as ``electrifying.'' And sparks are sure to fly when teen diva Britney Spears unleashes her big production. But that's just the tip of the iceberg.

This fall promises dozens of choice performances by some of the biggest names in rock, country and blues, too. You'll see Bob Dylan joy-riding across Americana, Tori Amos pulling a fast one on the men who've written unhappy songs for or about women and U2 laying down some thoughtful songs in the wake of the recent attacks.

There's James Taylor showering the people with old favorites, Juan Gabriel enchanting his fans with everything from pop tunes to love ballads to mariachi, and Travis Tritt heading up the stellar musical lineup at this year's KZLA Country Bash.

And speaking of festivals. B.B. King unleashes the bottleneck sound that crowned him undisputed King of the Blues, Radio Disney goes live, and Sonic Youth gets together with some artistic friends for ``All Tomorrow's Parties.''

Here are some more good times to be had by all:

Today

DJ Qbert, El Rey Theatre. With Money Mark, Kid Koala, Cut Chemist and DJ PTrix.

Tuesday

Janet Jackson, Staples Center (also Wednesday).

Earth, Wind and Fire, Universal Amphitheatre. With Rufus, featuring Chaka Khan (also Thursday).

Basement Jaxx, Mayan Theatre. With Ugly Duckling.

AFI, Palace Theatre (also Wednesday). With No Motive, Tsunami Bomb and Pistol Grip.

Wednesday

Janet Jackson, Staples Center.

Marco Antonio Solis, Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim. With Jose Hernandez's Mariachi Sol de Mexico and Laura Flores.

AFI, Palace Theatre. With Thrice, Missing 23rd and Toys That Kill.

Thursday

``All Over Blues'', Smothers Theatre, Pepperdine University. With Muddy Waters Tribute Band, featuring Waters' longtime sidemen Pinetop Perkins and ``Steady Rollin' '' Bob Margolin, and Chris Thomas King.

The Cult, Grand Olympic Auditorium. Performance to be filmed for DVD scheduled for release later this year.

Earth, Wind and Fire, Universal Amphitheatre.

Suzanne Vega with Marshall Crenshaw, Royce Hall, UCLA.

Friday

Disturbed, Hollywood Palladium. With Adema, Drowning Pool, Stereomud and Systematic.

Bright Eyes, El Rey Theatre. With Simon Joyner.

The Watts Prophets, Royce Hall, UCLA. Formed in reaction to the 1965 Watts riots to spread the gospel of Black Pride and Black Power by fusing spoken word with percussive rhythms and improvisational jazz. With the Los Angeles Hip-Hop Poetry Choir.

Luciano, House of Blues. Jamaican baritone.

Sigur Ros, Wilshire Theatre (also Saturday).

Juan Gabriel, Universal Amphitheatre (through Oct. 7). With mariachi-turned-pop-singer Nydia Rojas.

Saturday

New End Original, Fais Do Do. Featuring Jonah from Far. With Something Corporate and Redlight Halo.

Sigur Ros, Wilshire Theatre.

Juan Gabriel, Universal Amphitheatre. With Nydia Rojas.

James Taylor, Hollywood Bowl (also Oct. 12 at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre).

``The Cypress Hill Smoke Out'', Blockbuster Pavilion. With Cypress Hill, Deftones, Busta Rhymes, Redman, Method Man, Erick Sermon and Keith Murray, Suicidal Tendencies, Fear Factory, Afroman, Long Beach Dub Allstars, Kottonmouth Kings, NOFX, Armand Van Helden and DJ Sneak.

Oct. 7

moe., John Anson Ford Amphitheatre.

Oct. 8

Marilyn Manson, Grand Olympic Auditorium. To be filmed for a DVD scheduled for release later this year.

Oct. 9

Stevie Nicks, Universal Amphitheatre (also Oct. 10). Rescheduled shows from Aug. 21 and 22. With Sheryl Crow.

Midnight Oil, House of Blues (also Oct. 10).

Oct. 10

Midnight Oil, House of Blues.

Stevie Nicks, Universal Amphitheatre. Rescheduled from Aug. 22. With Sheryl Crow.

The Derailers, Knitting Factory.

Oct. 11

Nickelback, Key Club. With Seven Channels and Default.

Hall and Oates, Fred Kavli Theatre, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza (also Oct. 17 at House of Blues).

Oct. 12

James Taylor, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre.

dc Talk, Greek Theatre.

Randy Travis, Fred Kavli Theatre, Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.

The Isley Brothers, Universal Amphitheatre. With Teena Marie.

Oct. 13

``Lloyds Blues Music Festival'', Universal Amphitheatre. With B.B. King, John Hiatt, Buddy Guy and Tommy Castro.

``Radio Disney Live!'', Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. With Aaron Carter, Baha Men, Hoku, Krystal and Myra. Opening acts are Kaci, Brooke Allison, Jump 5 and Play. The concert is free, but tickets are required. Request tickets through the radiodisney.com Web site.

Backstreet Boys, Blockbuster Pavilion. With Sisqo and Krystal.

Average White Band, Canyon Dinner Theater.

Oct. 14

``The Carl Wilson Benefit Concert,'' El Rey Theatre. With America, In Bloom, Robert Lamm (founding member of Chicago), the Honeys, and Carnie and Wendy Wilson. Proceeds from the sale of the $100 tickets go to the Carl Wilson Foundation/Cancer Research and Assistance to Cancer Victims.

``Tri Fest,'' Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. Mexico's legendary rock band El Tri heads up a music festival with Angeles del Infierno and Victimas del Dr. Cerebro.

Zeke, Troubadour.

Oct. 15

Ben Folds, El Rey Theatre (also Oct. 16).

Oct. 16

Enrique Bunbury, Palace Theatre. Former frontman of '80s Spanish rock band Heroes del Silencio.

Oct. 17

Hall and Oates, House of Blues.

Waterboys, El Rey Theatre. With Tom McRae.

Oct. 18

Smash Mouth, El Rey Theatre. With Leroy.

The Strokes, Palace Theatre. With the Moldy Peaches.

Oct. 19

Bob Dylan, Staples Center.

Ray Davies, John Anson Ford Amphitheatre (also Oct. 20). Former frontman of the Kinks.

Lifehouse, El Rey Theatre (also Oct. 20). With the Calling and Michelle Branch.

Tantric, House of Blues. Days of the New minus vocalist Travis Meeks.

``All Tomorrow's Parties,'' various venues, UCLA (through Oct. 21). With Sonic Youth, Eddie Vedder, John Spencer Blues Explosion, Melvins, Peaches, Stereolab and more.

Oct. 20

Ray Davies, John Anson Ford Amphitheatre.

CeCe Winans, Great Western Forum. With Donny McClurkin.

Suicide Machines, The Whisky. With Ensign, Bigwig and the Story So Far.

Oct. 21

``KZLA Country Bash'', Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. With Travis Tritt, Brad Paisley, Jamie O'Neal, Rascal Flatts, Ty Herndon, Chely Wright, Lila McCann, Carolyn Dawn Johnson, Meredeth Edwards and Brian McComas.

Cake, Mayan Theatre.

Blonde Redhead, El Rey Theatre. With Autolux.

Oct. 22

Joe Strummer, Troubadour (also Oct. 23, 25 and 26).

Bjork, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.

The Guess Who, Greek Theatre. With Joe Cocker.

Oct. 23

Dialated Peoples, Palace Theatre. This show is a record release party for the new ``Expansion Team,'' in stores today.

Alison Krauss, Wiltern Theatre. With Union Station.

Joe Strummer, Troubadour (also Oct. 25 and 26).

Travis, Universal Amphitheatre. With Remy Zero and Phantom Planet.

Oct. 24

Tenacious D, Wiltern Theatre.

Oct. 25

Orbital, Hollywood Palladium.

Murder City Devils, El Rey Theatre (also Oct. 26). With Rocket From the Crypt, Botch and American Steele.

Oct. 26

Murder City Devils, El Rey Theatre.

Live, Wiltern Theatre.

Oct. 27

Rocio Durcal, Universal Amphitheatre.

``Breathe - A Benefit for Breast Cancer Research'', Greek Theatre. With Third Eye Blind, Sugar Ray, Seal, Deftones, Run DMC, Liz Phair, Nikka Costa, Crazytown and Julia Fordham.

Jane's Addiction, Great Western Forum. With Prodigy and the Stereo MCs.

Oysterhead, Hollywood Palladium. With North Mississippi Allstars.

Oct. 28

Brian McKnight, Universal Amphitheatre. With Tyrese and Blu Cantrell.

Oct. 29

Bahamadia, El Rey Theatre. With Ming + FS and the Angel.

Oct. 31

311, Universal Amphitheatre. With Alien Ant Farm.

Nov. 1

Maldita Vecindad, Universal Amphitheatre.

Tool, Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. With Tricky.

Nov. 5

Queensryche, Wiltern Theatre.

Nov. 6

Beta Band, Mayan Theatre.

Nov. 8

Sammy Kershaw, Universal Amphitheatre. With Lorrie Morgan.

Nov. 9

Vicente Fernandez, Universal Amphitheatre (through Nov. 11). The King of Rancheros is joined by his balladeer son Alejandro Fernandez at Universal Amphitheatre.

Nov. 11

Vicente Fernandez, Universal Amphitheatre.

Nov. 12

U2, Staples Center (also Nov. 13 and 19). With No Doubt.

Nov. 13

Eagle Eye Cherry, El Rey Theatre.

< Nov. 15

``Sisters in the Spirit Tour II'', Univerrsal Amphitheatre. With Yolanda Adams, Shirley Caesar and Mary Mary.

Tori Amos, Wiltern Theatre (through Nov. 17). With Rufus Wainwright.

The Misfits, Key Club (also Nov. 16).

Nov. 16

Death Cab for Cutie, El Rey Theatre. With the Prom.

New Found Glory, Hollywood Palladium. With Rx Bandits and H2O.

Jaguares, Universal Amphitheatre.

Nov. 17

Pinback, El Rey Theatre. With Boilermaker.

Nov. 18

Boz Scaggs, Wiltern Theatre.

Nov. 19

U2, Staples Center.

Nov. 20

Britney Spears, Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim (also Nov. 21 at Staples Center).

Nov. 23

``Family Values Tour'', Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim. With Stone Temple Pilots, Staind, Linkin Park, Static X, Deadsy and Spike 1000.

Nov. 24

Rod Stewart, Great Western Forum.

Dec. 1

Incubus, Universal Amphitheatre (also Dec. 2). With Oneside Zero.

Dec. 7

Melissa Etheridge, Kodak Theatre (also Dec. 8).

Dec. 19

Neil Diamond, Great Western Forum (also Dec. 21 and 22).

Dec. 28

Barry Manilow, Kodak Theatre (through Dec 31).

CAPTION(S):

7 photos

Photo:

(1) Janet Jackson's ``All for You'' tour stops at Staples Center on Tuesday and Wednesday.

(2) James Taylor performs at the Hollywood Bowl on Saturday and at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on Oct. 12.

(3) The Derailers play the Knitting Factory on Oct 10.

(4 -- 5) Suzanne Vega and Marshall Crenshaw share the bill Thursday at UCLA's Royce Hall.

(6) Brian McKnight headlines at the Universal Amphitheatre on Oct. 28.

(7) U2 comes to Staples Center on Nov. 19