Summer's Thunder, Rave, Wail

Here Are Our Picks For The Hottest Concerts Of The Season

By ERIC R. DANTON | Courant Rock Critic

May 15, 2008

It's time to start planning that summer concert itinerary — you know, so you can fit in vacations and family time around all the rocking out.

Here, then, is our second annual week-by-week breakdown of the summer concert schedule, with an essential pick and a backup show.

There are slim pickings some weeks — in fact, only one show seems to be scheduled so far for the week of Aug. 25 — but there's plenty to choose from most of the time, whatever your taste.

This week

Essential: Kanye West, N.E.R.D., Lupe Fiasco, Rihanna — West, one of the biggest rappers in the game, is an outright star, and he's bringing a wealth of talent with him, particularly Fiasco. Friday at Dodge Music Center.

Plan B: Mates of State — The Connecticut husband-wife duo releases an outstanding new album next week, and Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel have always put on a good show. Friday at Toad's Place in New Haven.

Week of May 19

Essential: Billy Joel — The piano man plays the first of 10 shows, which will bring nearly 100,000 people to southeastern Connecticut just to see him. May 23 at Mohegan Sun.

Plan B: Stone Temple Pilots — After an acrimonious split with Velvet Revolver earlier this year, part-time rehab resident Scott Weiland has reunited with Stone Temple Pilots, the '90s post-grunge band that made him famous. May 25 at Chevrolet Theatre in Wallingford. Also: May 26 at Mohegan Sun.

Week of May 26

Essential: Rilo Kiley — The California band's 2007 album was disappointing, but Jenny Lewis and company are still an impressive live force. June 1 at the Calvin Theatre in Northampton, Mass.

Plan B: Ray LaMontagne — The Maine singer and songwriter has a quiet, intimate way with understated folk-rock songs. May 26 at the Calvin.

Week of June 2

Essential: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss — What seemed like a strange collaboration worked out beautifully on last year's Plant-Krauss album "Raising Sand," a haunting collection of Americana. It's no Led Zeppelin tour, but still. June 4 at Mohegan Sun.

Plan B: Mudhoney — Nirvana gets all the credit, but the "Seattle sound" of the late '80s and early '90s couldn't have existed without Mudhoney. Along with a new album, the proto-grunge band this year reissued its influential "Superfuzz Bigmuff" EP, featuring "Touch Me I'm Sick" — the first single Sub Pop Records ever released. June 5 at Pearl Street in Northampton.

Week of June 9

Essential: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Steve Winwood — Performing at the Super Bowl in February was a weird gig for Petty, whose solid and ever-tuneful songs are better suited to less flashy surroundings. June 11 at the Dodge

Plan B: Landon Pigg — The Nashville singer-songwriter got a break when one of his songs landed on the TV show "Grey's Anatomy" in 2006, and he's a hard-touring road warrior. June 12 at The Space in Hamden.

Week of June 16

Essential: Stevie Wonder — A true musical genius, Wonder is one of the greatest and most versatile pop musicians of all time. June 19 at Mohegan Sun.