Black Keys are playing their only New England date in Connecticut in July. (Danny Clinch / Handout)

Two major rock acts have chosen Connecticut as their only destination in New England this summer, making for a couple un-missable shows.

First up are The Black Keys. The Grammy winners are at Hartford’s Comcast Theatre on July 9 along with The Joy Formidable. The concert goes on sale Thursday, May 23, at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster for $49, $39, and $23.50 for lawn seats.

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After a lot of wrangling, The Flaming Lips are officially playing Connecticut in July. (Handout)

After some back and forth, The Flaming Lips and Spiritualized are officially playing Connecticut on July 15, in one of the “can’t miss” concerts of the summer.

The show in Connecticut came after a week and a half of intense last minute negotiations with outdoor venues before the Toyota Presents Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford was brought in and saved the concert.

According to Mark Nussbaum of Manic Productions, this is The Flaming Lips’s only concert in New England this summer, and other than a few shows in New York this May, their only one in the northeast. The next closest concert is is in Pittsburgh the following day, July 16. This is also only one of two shows The Flaming Lips have booked with Spiritualized so far this year.

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Grayson Minney, lead singer and guitarist for Columbia Fields, died in an early morning car crash. (Nick Caito)

A Columbia Fields show set for this Saturday at Main Pub in Manchester will go on as scheduled, as a tribute to the life of Grayson Minney.

Minney, lead singer for Columbia Fields, was killed in a car crash early Saturday. State Police said he lost control of his car on Route 85 in Hebron just south of Route 94. He was 28.

Saturday night’s show at the Main Pub in Manchester starts at 9 p.m. Brian Jarvis, Kevin Howard, Brian Verderosa, and several more local musicians will perform guest vocals for Columbia Fields. A portion of money from the door will go to the Minney family.

Click here for more information on the Facebook event page.

The Minney family has also set an official Celebration of Life Ceremony this Sunday from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at RHAM High School, 85 Wall Street in Hebron. The event is open to the public and a large crowd is expected. A private memorial service was held Friday morning.

A charitable foundation is being set up in Grayson Minney’s name. Donations can be made to Frederick Minney, care of First Niagara Bank, 31 Main Street, Hebron, CT 06248.

Since Minney’s death there has been an outpouring of mourning, memories, and support from area musicians. Grayson Minney and Columbia Fields were stalwart fixtures in the close-knit Connecticut music scene for the last decade.

For those who have been to a major concert, the issue of drinking and drug use is no strange concept. In fact it is historically considered to go hand in hand with seeing live music.

Unfortunately, there are some who would choose to make the legend a reality, to their own detriment.

The Courant reports that Dr. Steven Wolf, chairman of the emergency department at St. Francis Hospital, said at a press conference yesterday that the issue of binge drinking at concerts has risen to the level of a public health issue.

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Black Francis played a sold out show at the Spaceland Ballroom on May 15. (Nick Caito)

Black Francis took the stage at Spaceland Ballroom rather simply. All he did was walk on, wave, and put his cream colored Fender Jaguar over his sleeveless shoulders.

It was that relaxed vibe that encompassed most of his set. Black Francis (aka Charles Kittridge Thompson aka Frank Black) was alone with his guitar on stage and jamming out, it just happened that a few hundred people were watching.

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The Rascals, a soul group from the 60′s, have reunited for a ‘bioconcert’ produced by Steve Van Zandt. (Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images)

Mohegan Sun will be telling the tale of The Rascals on Aug. 30, through the eyes of Steven Van Zandt.

“The Rascals: Once Upon A Dream,” produced by Van Zandt, is billed as a “bioconcert,” part Broadway show and part concert featuring the original band members. The event at the Mohegan Arena goes on sale Friday at 10 a.m. for $45 through Ticketmaster.

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When floating in a tin can, high above the earth, what else is there to do? I mean, other than science experiments and the usual astronaut stuff.

Col. Chris Hadfield, commander of the International Space Station and a David Bowie fan (at least one would assume), stars in the music video. He’s also the first Canadian commander of the ISS.

According to the CBC, Col. Hadfield has generated more than 22 million youtube hits from his various videos. His twitter feed and Facebook page are also filled with incredible shots of the earth from space.

The CBC reports Hadfield will be on his way back to earth tonight on a Russian Soyuz space capsule. Sadly that means there probably isn’t enough time for a video to Spiritualized’s “Ladies and Gentlemen, We Are Floating In Space.”

Grayson Minney, lead singer and guitarist for Columbia Fields, died in an early morning car crash. (Nick Caito)

Grayson Minney, the lead singer and guitarist for the group Columbia Fields, was killed in a car crash early Saturday morning, State Police said. Minney was 28 years old.

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A television station in Virginia is giving a little sneak peek at the stage setup for Dave Matthews Band’s tour this summer.

Charlottesville’s local CBS / ABC / Fox affiliate did a story recently with a look at the stage and light system, which is being constructed in the Virginia city.

Dave Matthews Band has two dates, June 7 and 8, set for Hartford’s Comcast Theatre. Tickets range from $40.50 to $75 and are on sale through Ticketmaster.com.

Watch the clip below:

Joey Batts performing with Bronze Radio Return at Black Eyed Sally’s in 2010. (Nick Caito)

Congratulations go out to Hartford area rock / rapper Joey Batts, aka Joe Battaglia aka “Mr. B.”

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