(Radio.com) Tuesday (May 3) at New York's Irving Plaza, concert promotion powerhouse Live Nation staged their second annual National Concert Day event. It's essentially Live Nation's "Upfront" for the summer concert season, where artists across all genres - who are going on Live Nation promoted tours - chat with the press and also perform.

Cheap Trick, Joan Jett, Dierks Bentley and Wiz Khalifa all took the stage playing mini-sets of their most well-known songs. Khalifa was joined by surprise guest Snoop Dogg - with whom he's co-headlining a tour this summer.

Before the performances, Radio.com spoke with some of the big names who will be on the road this summer. All of them spoke about the importance of seeing live music, and the impact that concerts made on their lives.

Newly minted Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Robin Zander of Cheap Trick recalled his first concert: "I went to see the Beach Boys at Harlem High School, it was so cool, it affected me in a good way." He didn't waste much time figuring out what he wanted to do with his life: "At 12 years old, I already had a band and I was out playing."

Cheap Trick will co-headline a summer tour with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts and Heart this summer. He's looking forward to spending the summer with old friends: "I've known Joannie since she was a young teenager, I saw her at a place called Waverly Beach Ballroom, in Wisconsin, she was with the Runaways at that time. They were on their first tour. And I've known Ann and Nancy for a long, long time. My duet with Ann, 'Surrender to Me,' was a top 5 song from the film Tequila Sunrise. Read more here.

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