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. [...]]]>

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.

Next are The Flaming Lips, playing with Spiritualized on July 15. After some initial trouble with outdoor venues, the concert has been booked at the Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com for $51.50 and $41.50.

Michael Buble` has a Sept. 25 concert booked at the XL Center in Hartford. Tickets are on sale now for $57.50 – $102.50 through Ticketmaster.

Soul and R&B legend Mavis Staples is coming to Calvin Theatre in Northampton. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

The fantastic Mavis Staples is bringing her legendary soul sounds to the Calvin Theatre in Northampton on Nov. 7. Tickets are on sale Friday at iheg.com for $25, $35, and $45.

The Lemonheads, one of the seminal alt rock bands, are at Spaceland Ballroom on July 21 for $20. Pinback is at Spaceland Sept. 12 for $18, and The Feelies are there Sept. 28 for $20. Those shows are on sale now at manicproductions.org.

Up and coming synth-pop rockers Gentleman Hall are at the Iron Horse June 21. Tickets are $10 at iheg.com or $13 at the door. Atlas Genius play a free show at The Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun the day before.

Blue Coupe, the band featuring members of Alice Cooper and Blue Oyster Cult, are at Infinity Hall July 6. Tickets are $30 and $45 and on sale Thursday.

Michael Buble` is performing at the XL Center in September. (Nick Caito)

Infinity Hall also has Little Feat’s Paul Barrere and Fred Tackett on Aug. 2 for $59 and $39, Ryan Montbleau Band on Aug. 17 for $39 and $49, and The Tubes on Nov. 2 for $45 and $60. Those shows are all on sale Thursday morning, May 23.

Devon Allman Band (Gregg’s son) is at StageOne at Fairfield Theatre Company on June 2 for $25. Superjam band Dragon Smoke play there June 26 for $48. Both shows are on sale now at fairfieldtheatre.org.

Hungry Tiger in Manchester has Chris Duarte playing June 20 for $20, and the Pevar-Kortchmar Band on June 27 with VIP tables at $15. Tickets to both are available at thehungrytiger.com or 860-649-1195.

Ska fans can look forward to Big D and the Kids Table at the Pearl Street Clubroom on Dec. 6 ($12.50 at iheg.com), and The Pietasters on Sept. 27 at The Space ($18 at manicproductions.org).

Coming Up This Week:

Thursday night Infinity Hall has Keystone Revisited, celebrating the 40th anniversary of Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders’ “Live At Keystone.”

JEFF the Brotherhood and Hunters are at Cafe Nine in New Haven on Thursday.

Jeff Pitchell and Texas Flood play the Iron Horse Friday night.

Sunday has the fine sitar meanderings of Rahat Fateh Ali Khan at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

Next week is big for boy band fans, when New Kids On the Block, 98 Degrees, and Boyz II Men play Mohegan on Tuesday, Wednesday, and next Friday.

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 [...]]]>

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.

Spiritualized will be playing with Flaming Lips on July 15 at Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford. (Handout)

The July 15 show is on sale this Wednesday, May 22, at 10 a.m. through ticketmaster.com, manicproductions.org, or 800-745-3000. Tickets are $41.50 and $51.50. Premier Concerts, The Bushnell, and Manic Productions all collaborated to bring the concert to Connecticut.

It seems worth wondering why it was so controversial to bring a normally innocuous band like The Flaming Lips, who were named by Q Magazine in 2002 as one of “50 Bands to See Before You Die,” to the Nutmeg State.

The original venue for the concert, Simsbury Meadows, withdrew from hosting the concert. First Selectwoman Mary Glassman told the Courant that after conversations with Police Chief Peter Ingvertsen, officials decided against the concert.

Glassman said the main concern was staffing, particularly because of a previously approved Emmylou Harris concert planned for the following night.

After Simsbury’s withdrawal, promoters started working with SummerWind in Windsor. A week ago, on the eve of the official announcement, the venue withdrew its approval for the show.

Because of negotiations over finding a new venue, concert promoters declined to officially discuss the reasons behind SummerWind’s withdrawal. However a source familiar with the discussions said a member of the SummerWind board took issue with a new Flaming Lips music video, which featured scenes of graphic nudity.

Flaming Lips’s Wayne Coyne rolls out into the crowd at Mountain Park in 2010 in a giant hampster ball. (Brian Lee)

The Flaming Lips aren’t new to experimentation and pushing the envelope, at least as far as their music is concerned. Their songs are known for unorthodox melodies, strange moments of dissonance, and fantastical themes and concepts.

These larger than life sounds translate into their live performances, which are full of huge puppets, confetti, and lead singer Wayne Coyne rolling over the crowd in a large plastic ball.

Last month The Flaming Lips dropped the intensely creepy record “The Terror,” perhaps the first time they’ve accurately described an album in its title. While not flush with abject horror, it’s certainly a departure from the band’s usual style by being completely creepy as hell.

Spiritualized alone are worth the price of admission. Last year saw Spiritualized’s first new album since 2008 with the release of Sweet Heart Sweet Light. The group’s psychoactive source, Jason Pierce, underwent a series of treatments for liver disease in the months before its release. The album is a solid endeavor that hints at a little Velvet Underground style psych garage, but keeps the band’s airy minimalistic space dreams.

The fact that this concert is coming to the state, a concert that would draw crowds in any other major New England City, is a huge boon for Connecticut and is likely to sell out.

Click here to see more ridiculous photos from The Flaming Lips’s last area concert, at Mountain Park in 2010.

Watch a video of The Flaming Lips performing the track “Do You Realize??” at Mountain Park in 2010:

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 [...]]]>

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.

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

The Courant [...]]]> 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.

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.

In what seems to be a perennial concern, concerts at the Comcast Theatre in Hartford and tailgating that happens for hours before a concert even begins are what city officials called a focus of the issue.

“We want people to be there and have a good time, and tailgating is certainly a part of that, but we want people to act responsibly,” responded John Huff, general manager for the Comcast Theatre.  “You don’t need to be out there for five hours to have a good time.”

Click here to read the full story.

Fourteen years ago, a Dave Matthews Band concert at the Hartford Meadows (as it was called back then) resulted in a full blown riot as intoxicated crowd members became unruly.

While nothing at that level has happened since, it is true that intoxicated concert goers are a real problem for themselves and for others trying to enjoy the concert.

From personal experience on a smaller scale, it’s horrible to try and enjoy a band while someone spills a beer down your back without any remorse. On a bigger scale, having a drunken brawl cause a band to stop a show ruins the night for everyone.

But it’s also true that often the legend outweighs the reality. The vast majority of people at any given concert are sober, or at least responsible. What is it about the very idea of a concert that would make some want to go overboard?

It’s safe to assume most of you readers are concert goers… do you think drinking or smoking is a real big problem at concerts, or is it just part of the experience? Is this restricted to only one genre of music, like country, or metal?

And most important of all, how do you keep people safe while ensuring everyone has a good time?

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 [...]]]>

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.
“Uh I’m sorry, I forgot how this song ends.” Francis said, bringing an abrupt halt to a seemingly never ending final chorus of “Bad News,” only his second song of the night. “That one is a little depressing for the second song of a set.”

That was his only real musical foible for the roughly two hour solo performance. Black Francis deftly played through his songs with a natural ease, spouting forth the dynamic alternation between warbly singing and bat-like screech that he’s known for. With just an electric guitar and two effects pedals, Black Francis brought out surprisingly full sounding melodies despite the lack of any backing musicians.

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

Francis went through a huge catalogue of songs, encompassing Frank Black material (I Heard Ramona Sing, [I Want To Live on an] Abstract Plain), Frank Black And The Catholics (Six Sixty Six), and Black Francis (You Can’t Break a Heart and Have It).

Of course there were quite a few tracks from The Pixies, which still proves to be Francis’ most popular project. He performed three tracks from 1989′s “Doolittle,” including “Wave of Mutilation” as the set opener. The biggest crowd reaction was likely to “Where Is My Mind?,” which instantly drew falsetto backing vocals from the audience.

Black Francis is joined by Reid Paley on stage at the Spaceland Ballroom. (Nick Caito)

A few of his regular cover performances were thrown in, playing Flying Burrito Brothers’ “Wheels” and lending his trademark yelling to Tom Waits’ “The Black Rider.”

After closing his set with “Los Angeles,” opener Reid Pailey was brought up on stage for another few tracks off their collaborative record, 2011′s “Paley & Francis.”

“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 [...]]]>

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.

Ke$ha is returning to the Mohegan Sun Arena on Aug. 23. (Nick Caito)

Sometimes Ke$ha can be a little cringeworthy. But on the plus side, since she last performed at Mohegan Sun the pop star has collaborated with Iggy Pop and Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips. She returns now on Aug. 23. Tickets are $49, and on sale Friday at 10 a.m. through Ticketmaster.

MGM Grand is hosting the “TGT Tour,” featuring Tyrese, Ginuwine, and Tank. The concert is July 14, with tickets on sale now for $20 and $35 at foxwoods.com.

Cheap Trick are at the Pequot casino Aug. 28. There should be a surcharge if you’ve tried singing “I Want You To Want Me” at karaoke, but there’s not. Tickets are $37.50 and on sale Friday at 10 a.m. through foxwoods.com.

Bronze Radio Return have a new record coming out, and celebrate with a release show the week before, on June 15 at the Great Hall at Union Station in Hartford. Tickets are $13 at ticketfly.com, or $15 at the door.

Barenaked Ladies are at Infinity Hall on June 5 for an Infinity Hall Live taping. Tickets are on sale now at infinityhall.com for $95 or $135 for the mezzanine, which includes a meet and greet with the band.

Deer Tick plays Infinity Hall on July 7, with tickets at $39 and $59. Billy Cox, former Jimi Hendrix’ Experience bassist, plays with The Band Of Gypsys Experience on June 20 for $34 and $49. Those shows go on sale Thursday, May 16, at 6 a.m. at infinityhall.com.

Bosnian Rainbows will be at Spaceland Ballroom this fall. (Handout)

Bosnian Rainbows, the new project from Omar Rodriguez-Lopez of At The Drive In and The Mars Volta, is at Spaceland Ballroom on July 16 for $15.  Pinback plays Sept. 12 for $18, and The Feelies are there on Sept. 28 for $20. Those shows go on sale Friday at noon at manicproductions.org.

Relient K plays Toad’s Place on July 14. Tickets are $17 in advance or $20 at the door, and on sale Friday at noon through toadsplace.com. Beres Hammond is there on Aug. 14 for $30, on sale now.

The Caravan of Thieves show at Iron Horse was moved from last Friday to Sept. 21. Kristy Lee is at the venue on July 10, and Sarah Lee Guthrie and Johnny Irion play Sept. 14. Those shows are all $12.50 and on sale now at iheg.com.

Coming Up This Week:

Friday night has Soundgarden playing the Oakdale Theatre. Conversely, get your party on with Jay Sean at the Shrine Nightclub.

Saturday is a big night, with Brad Paisley at the Comcast Theatre and Motley Crue at Mohegan Sun. New Found Glory is at Toad’s Place, playing “Sticks And Stones” in its entirety for a 10 year anniversary tour. Don’t you feel old, Generation Y?

Speaking of Generation Y punk, Alkaline Trio is at Toad’s Place on Sunday. There’s also a great rock show down the street at Cafe Nine, with Coliseum, California X, and 2 Ton Bug.

James McCartney is at Cafe Nine on Tuesday night, and New Haven garage rockers Estrogen Highs play BAR next Wednesday.

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 [...]]]> 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.”

According to police, Minney was on Route 85 in Hebron just south of Route 94 around 3:40 a.m. when he apparently lost control of his car. [...]]]>

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.

According to police, Minney was on Route 85 in Hebron just south of Route 94 around 3:40 a.m. when he apparently lost control of his car. The car struck a guardrail, went airborne, and crashed into two large trees, police said.

Columbia Fields, and Grayson Minney, have long been fixtures on the Connecticut music scene. According to the group’s bio, they were formed in 2002 by Minney and keyboardist Eric Heath. Over the years they’ve played just about everywhere from big venues like The Webster and Toad’s Place to bars like Main Pub and Black Eyed Sally’s.

“He was full of energy. A really well liked guy, had a lot of friends. He just brought a life to the party,” Heath told Fox CT’s Crystal Hall in an interview Saturday night. “It still hasn’t hit me. I don’t really feel it’s happened yet. I don’t think it’s going to hit me for a while, it’s really hard to process.”

Grayson Minney, left, plays on stage at the Mohegan Sun Arena in 2010, when Columbia Fields opened for Bon Jovi. (Nick Caito)

In 2010 the group won a competition to open for Bon Jovi at the Mohegan Sun Arena. Columbia Fields also won the Hartford Advocate’s “Best Indie Band” award in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

More recently, Grayson Minney was involved with the “Downtown Rocks For Newtown” benefit. Minney played an acoustic set with keyboardist Heath and drummer Bryan Kelly.

“Grayson and Columbia Fields are one of the best local and regional bands who represent Hartford, they always were,” said Cory Sims, one of the organizers of the benefit. “Grayson was one of the nicest, and talented too, guys in the local scene.”

That sentiment is echoed by Brian Verderosa, a fellow musician, as well as friend and fan of Minney. “On stage and off the stage, he just beamed with confidence and love,” said Verderosa, who played immediately before Columbia Fields at the “Downtown Rocks For Newtown” benefit. “He knew the commodity of playing music out was rare, and having people who love it as much as you do is rare, and he never took that for granted.”

The two developed a friendship at Columbia Fields’ shows, and Verderosa helped him out with gear while working at Guitar Center. “He played [his guitar] so hard that he had blood residue in the sound hole of the guitar. His blood is literally in the instrument,” Verderosa said. “That’s the passion he has for music and what he brought to it.”

By midday Saturday, posts on the group’s Facebook page paid tribute to Grayson.

“Their fans loved them, not in a fleeting boy band kind of way but in an eternal way. I watched them play and I thought, ‘This is the kind of impact I want my band to have,’” posted Trent Gerbers, of the band Addison Station.

“We’ve played many shows together and I was honored to share the stage with him. God’s choir gets an incredibly talented musician but I wish we could have had his gift here on earth a little longer.”

Watch Crystal Hall’s report on Fox CT below:

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 [...]]]> 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:

Battaglia was named a finalist for Hartford’s 2013 Teacher Of The Year for his work at Opportunity High School, where he uses music like Tupac to reach kids that others may have given up on. Click here [...]]]>

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.”

Battaglia was named a finalist for Hartford’s 2013 Teacher Of The Year for his work at Opportunity High School, where he uses music like Tupac to reach kids that others may have given up on. Click here to read the full write up from the Courant’s Vanessa De La Torre.

Joey Batts is your best friend.

You may recognize Joey’s face from his regular performances in the area fronting his group “Joey Batts and Them,” or the Shepard Fairey style stickers everywhere that declare your friendship in no uncertain terms.

The group’s next show is Saturday night, May 11, at The Hartford Room on Ann Uccello Street in downtown. Click here for more shows and info on the group.

Check out the video for his track ’860′ below: