It’s that time of year. Rock stars, promoters, managers and roadies start to prep for that next road trip, while fans hope it will bring their favorite act to a city near them.

It’s been eight years since Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers released their last studio album, but that drought is set to end with the release of Mojo. The album is due sometime this spring, along with the kickoff of a tour that one might expect to coincide with the release date of the album.

Petty’s tour begins in Raleigh, NC on May 6 and is scheduled to wrap up on August 27 in Saratoga Springs, NY. The tour will be supported by other acts, including Joe Cocker, Drive-By Truckers, ZZ Top, and Crosby, Stills & Nash.

Another classic rocker gearing up for a busy summer schedule is the Steve Miller Band. The man well known for such FM radio classics as “Fly Like an Eagle” and “Jet Airliner” is set to ease into the new tour with a single date next Tuesday in Nashville, and won’t resume until May 21st when they roll into Henderson, NV. The tour will continue through the end of July.

In addition to the tour, a new album is planned for release, although a firm date has not been announced yet. Some material from the new album, which was recorded at George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch, will be showcased during the tour. No title has been announced for the new album yet.

We’ve been hearing stories from Aerosmith over the past few weeks suggesting that the band was coming back to life after a tumultuous period that had many fans wondering if the group would ever reappear with veteran frontman Steven Tyler again.

Well, it seems as if the boys are all back in one another’s good graces and Tyler will be rejoining his long-time mates for some road work across the pond. A recent announcement by Tyler states that he is back with the group and that Aerosmith will be “coming your way and rocking your world.”

It’s unclear when Aerosmith will be rocking audiences here in the United States again, since the only dates announced so far are for performances in Europe. The 11-date tour, entitled the “Cocked, Locked and Ready to Rock” tour hits Sweden on June 10, and winds its way down into Italy for the final show on July 3rd. Perhaps the boys want to be home in time to set off some fireworks and enjoy some July 4th celebrating.