For Your Live Listening (Dis)pleasure

This week features more big-time concerts in the Philadelphia area than any week in recent memory. Here's a rundown of some of the highlights:

• Beck (Monday at the Tower)- Puppet Beck and his puppet band alone are worth the price of admission.
• The Killers (Monday at the Factory)- Anyone taking their sound in a Springsteenesque direction is alright with me.
• Red Hot Chili Peppers (Monday and Tuesday at Wachovia)- Death, drugs, lineup changes, and copyright infringments be damned; nothing can stop RHCP.
• Paul Simon (Tuesday at the Tower)- You can call him Al.
• Amos Lee (Wednesday at the TLA)- Philly's finest singer/songwriter at one of Philly's most fun venues.
• Insane Clown Posse (Wednesday at the Factory)- ICP was originally a hardcore rap group called Inner City Posse, but after being visited by the 'Carnival Spirit' they transformed into angry clown rappers. OK.
• Death Cab for Cutie with Ted Leo (Thursday at the Tower)- Death Cab is good, Ted Leo is awesome.
• Alice in Chains (Thursday at the Factory)- It's time to give it up, or at least change your name.
• The Rolling Stones (Friday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City)- The industry's biggest money-making machine rolls into A.C. for the first time.
• Dresden Dolls (Saturday at the TLA)- German cabret rock at its best.