If you're a music fan and are going to be in Hanover this Summer and especially if you're a sophomore with, shall we say, a relatively light course load then you have little excuse (barring automotive issues, of course) not to check out at least one of the fantastic concert offerings occurring around New England. Higher Ground in Burlington, Vt., is presenting, as usual, a string of exciting performances by rap artists and indie and jam bands, while Boston and Hartford, Conn., will host a variety of gigs by major, top-selling musicians.
Perhaps the most significant news is the ongoing live reunion of Phish, without question the most beloved jam band to emerge in the last 20 years. They will play June 17 and 18 at the Comcast Theatre in Hartford. Given the group's reputation for stellar live performances, Phish will surely offer up one of the most thrilling musical experiences of the season.
Also playing on June 18 at the House of Blues in Boston are feel-good indie-pop supergroup The New Pornographers, fresh off the release of their thoroughly entertaining new album "Together" (2010). Even if their live performances tend not to change or add much to their recorded material, this is guaranteed to be a fun, inspiring show full of soaring harmonies, catchy guitar riffs and loud, boisterous rock n' roll beats.
On July 31, The Black Keys will bring their stripped-down, lo-fi blues rock to the Bank of America Pavilion in Boston. One of the most stubbornly old-fashioned bands of recent years, this guitar-and-drums duo could be called the Creedence Clearwater Revival of our time, as they continue to churn out down-and-dirty rock, rejecting the angst and irony of their indie peers. Even their work with DJ Danger Mouse (who has produced, among others, albums for Gnarls Barkley and Gorillaz) on their most recent album only served to refine their deliciously raw sound. This should be one of the grooviest, loudest and most raucous concerts of the summer.
The Arcade Fire, one of the most popular alternative rock bands of recent years, will play on Aug. 1, also at Boston's Bank of America Pavilion. This concert comes two days before the release of their hotly anticipated third album, "The Suburbs" (2010), and is sure to feature plenty of new material for fans craving more of their epic and cathartic sound.
John Mayer is coming to the Comcast Theatre in Hartford on Aug. 7, and his soulful vocals and guitar pyrotechnics should make for a satisfying and moving concert. His latest album, "Battle Studies" (2009), received extremely mixed reviews, and his continuous presence in the tabloid spotlight has tended to overshadow his musical efforts lately. Yet his reputation as an intensely emotional live performer still remains.
One of the most enticing offerings at Higher Ground this summer is the June 20 performance by Ted Leo and The Pharmacists, who recently released their fifth album, "The Brutalist Bricks" (2010). A fervently emotional indie rock band that tends to elicit strong reactions, both positive and negative, this group is guaranteed at the very least to give their all in probably one of the most energetic live shows you'll ever see.
Finally, avant-garde post-rock band Tortoise will play at Higher Ground on Sept. 5. Formed in 1990 out of the ashes of the legendary and short-lived Slint, their music is not particularly well-known but has continually astonished those with an ear for music that can only be called either "rock" or "pop" in the loosest sense, drawing from influences as diverse as jazz, classical, ambient and electronic music.
