*It’ll be a big night at The Webster Theatre in Hartford next Friday. June 9 is (not only my birthday…) going to be the official CD release party/concert for RANE, a Connecticut-based band ready to par-tay and celebrate the unveiling of its brand-new album, Camelopardalis. Doors will open at 7:30 pm, Zoux has an opening set, and then the band will be taking the stage at 9:30 for what is expected to be a two-plus-hour set.

Tickets are $10 at the door, but if you order them in advance you can get them for $8 a pop. Contact tickets.com either at the web site or call 800/422-0000 to have tickets waiting for you at the door Friday night.

When Michael Marciano, of The Hartford Advocate, wrote “…Many regard RANE’s live presentation as a spectacle to be witnessed…,” he was only hinting at the surface of a sense of humor — and smart marketing — that runs through the band. When Rane performed at Husky Blues, a club in Storrs, the band had to take the stage while the crowd continued to filter in. Rather than pretending, as most musicians do, that a lackadaisical response wasn’t bothering them, band members played their instruments while lying down until the group of fans seated at the for of the stage took to their feet.

The band has become a favorite of Hartford-based radio 104 listeners, having appeared in a number of the station’s festival events (Big Day Off at The Meadows, Modern Rock the Earth Day at Bushnell Park, and 104 fest at Riverside Amusement Park, among them) and even making it to the final round of the station’s Modern Rock Wars.

Rane will be up there on the stage at The Meadows again this summer, as one of the acts invited for the 2000 radio 104 Fest on June 24. The guys have been featured for the last three years in Hartford Advocate’s Grand Band Slam, and have played clubs throughout southern New England, spreading the sounds and gathering followers for what they call their “modern, psychedelic, trippy, progressive, slap-in-the-fact rock and roll … combining all styles of jazz to ambient to progressive rock to folk.”

But the band’s biggest draw is the college scene, and they have played colleges from Pennsylvania to New Hampshire. That probably isn’t a coincidence, as four of the band’s five members of Rane are not only aspiring musicians but continuing their studies at the same time.

Vocalist Alan Veniscofsky is majoring in music technology at UHartford’s Hartt School of Music; bass player Dan Prindle is a Berkley College of Music student, with a double major going in music business and composition; percussionist Kurt Rinaldi is a music major at Holyoke Community College; and drummer Travis LaMothe, a student at Eastern CT State University, is majoring in business administration with a concentration in marketing. The band’s guitarist is Ryan Bowman, a self-proclaimed Jedi master.

“This is the best piece of work we’ve ever done,” drummer LaMothe promised last week over the phone. All five band members were taking a two-week sabbatical from performing, just to build the anticipation for themselves and for the crowd for next weekend’s big show. After the Webster show and the radio 104 show later this month, it’s a full summer of travel and gigs concentrated within the Northeast market.

“It’s been really cool to watch the crowds growing for us,” LaMothe said. “We have a good fan base to begin with, and it’s funny because now we’re just watching the crowd get bigger and bigger and bigger.”

Part of the appeal for fans is that by accessing Rane’s web site (www.ranetides.com), you can not only read up on the latest news from the band but also keep in direct touch with each other. A link within the site offers access to an email message board.

“Our web site is picking up some serious traffic,” LaMothe commented last week. In just a few months, daily activity has taken off. “It’s a great way to network,” he continued.

Another link on the site offers MP3 samplings of the band’s music… the only place, before the CD release party next week or the on-street date of June 13, for visitors to hear music from Camelopardalis.

Until next week, I’ll be seeing you... on the road.

Questions and comments should be sent to Shannon Hicks, c/o Bee Publishing Co., 5 Church Hill Road, Newtown 06470, or shannon@thebee.com. Include a phone number for confirmation, please. If you don’t have a stamp or a piece of paper or a writing utensil that works, give me a call! The phone number at the office is 426-3141. Shows listed on the calendar at club locations are for ages 21 and over unless specified.

UPCOMING CONCERTS

JUNE 2 — Freestyle at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; Eiffel 65 at The Webster Theatre, Hartford, Reno opening (all ages); Darik & The Funbags at Toad’s Place, New Haven, Public Disturbance and Hype opening;

June 3 — Shadablue, D-fused and Headstrong at Laszlo’s Arts Café, Monroe; Invaderz From Marz at Tuxedo Junction;

June 4 — Colin Hay (of Men at Work) at Tune Inn, New Haven;

June 6 — Don Henley at the Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford; Mr Big at Toad’s Place, Jonny Law and Chain Reaction opening (all ages);

June 8 — “An All-Star Tribute to Rick Danko” at Edmond Town Hall, Newtown, with performances by Garth Hudson, “Professor Louie” Hurwitz & The Crowmatix, The Honky Tonk Gurus, Artie Traum, Michael Bacon, Mary Ellen Bernard, et al (benefit for WPKN-FM); Uncle Jr at Toad’s Place, Mark Place opening;

June 9 — Rane at The Webster Theatre, Hartford (performance & CD release party); Shakedown at Toad’s Place, Electric Mayhem and Silent Majority opening (all ages); Peter Obre at The Inn at Newtown; Hour Zero and Point of View at Laszlo’s Arts Café; Joe Rock Star at Tuxedo Junction;

June 10 — The Nerds at Tuxedo Junction;

June 10-11 — 28th Annual Woodbury Rock n’ Reggae Festival at Woodbury Ski Area;

June 13 —Red Hot Chili Peppers at The Meadows Music Theatre, Hartford, Foo Fighters and Red Hot Blonde opening; Lynyrd Skynyrd at The Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford;

June 14 — 311 and Incubus at The Oakdale; John Valby at Tuxedo Junction;

June 15 — Tina Turner at The Meadows Music Theatre, Hartford; Mary J. Blige at The Oakdale, Jagged Edge opening;

June 16 — Poison, Cinderella, Dokken and Slaughter at The Meadows Music Theatre; Macy Gray at the Oakdale; Sub City Project, Kurt/Underpass and Lloyd’s Hill at Laszlo’s Arts Café; The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction;

June 17 — Mighty Purple at The Arts Barn, Madison; Electric Monks and Crossroads at Laszlo’s Arts Café; Them Bones at Tuxedo Junction;

June 20 — Morgan Heritage at Toad’s Place (all ages);

June 21 — Britney Spears at The Meadows;

June 23 — Peter Obre at The Inn at Newtown; Love Gun at Toad’s Place, 13 O’Clock and Seahorz opening (all ages); Little Lilith event at The Webster Theatre with Swivel Hips, Sweeter Than Wine, Heavy 7 and Ruby Fruit; The Benjamins at Tuxedo Junction;

June 23-25 — 5th Annual Gathering of the Vibes Festival at Seaside Park, Bridgeport, including performances by Ratdog, David Grisman, John Scofield, Merl Saunders & Friends, Max Creek, Harlem Gospel Choir, et al;

June 24 — radio104 fest 2000 at The Meadows featuring Creed and Sevendust, also Amazing Royal Crowns, Rane, Three Doors Down, Kottonmouth Kings, Eve 6, Shades Apart, Deathray, Bowling For Soup, et al; The Trag Band at Laszlo’s Arts Café; The Wallbangers at Tuxedo Junction;

June 25 — The Allman Brothers Band at The Meadows, Hot Tuna opening;

June 26 — The Limit at Laszlo’s Arts Café;

June 29 — Mighty Purple on the New Haven Green (part of annual Arts & Ideas Festival, free show, begins 5:30 pm); Far Cry Fly at Laszlo’s Arts Café;

June 30 — Phish at The Meadows; Yellowman at Toad’s Place; Future Tense at Tuxedo Junction; E-Town and Concrete at The Webster Theatre.

JULY 1 — Phish at The Meadows Music Theatre, Hartford; Darik & The Funbags at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury;

July 7 — Earth, Wind & Fire at the Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford;

July 8 — Kiss at The Meadows, Skid Row and Ted Nugent opening; Natalie Merchant at Ives Concert Park, Danbury, Wilco and Carrie opening;

July 9 — Steely Dan at The Meadows;

July 11 — Brian Setzer at Foxwoods Casino, Ledyard; Kottonmouth Kings at The Webster Theatre, Hartford (all ages);

July 13 — Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Oakdale; Culture at Toad’s Place, New Haven, Crucial Massive opening (all ages);

July 14 — The Moody Blues at The Meadows Music Theatre; The Beach Boys at the Oakdale Theatre, The Four Tops opening;

July 15 — The Moody Blues at Ives Concert Park, The Peter Spink Group opening;

July 15-16 — Alternative Rock n’ Skate Jam Fest at Woodbury Ski Area;

July 17 — Robin Trower at Toad’s Place;

July 18 — The Neville Brothers at Toad’s Place;

July 19 — Less Than Jake at The Webster Theatre (all ages);

July 21 — Bob Dylan and Phil Lesh & Friends at The Meadows; Jethro Tull at Foxwoods Casino;

July 22 — Yes and Kansas at The Meadows.

Peter Frampton at Foxwoods Casino; King’s X at The Webster Theatre (all ages);

July 24 —The Slackers at The Webster Theatre, Hartford;

July 25 — Widespread Panic at Toad’s Place (all ages);

July 29 — Jethro Tull at Ives Concert Park, XRC opening;

July 31 — Incubus at The Webster Theatre (all ages); George Thorogood & The Destroyers at Toad’s Place.

AUGUST 3 —Burning Spear at Toad’s Place, New Haven, The Lightning opening (all ages);

August 4 — Tragically Hip at The Webster Theatre, Hartford (all ages);

August 5 — Motley Crue at The Meadows Music Theatre, Hartford, Anthrax and Megadeth opening;

August 9 — Santana at The Meadows Music Theatre, Macy Gray opening;

August 10 — Kid Rock at The Meadows Music Theatre;

August 12-13 — Chicago at Foxwoods Casino, Ledyard;

August 22 — Little Feat at Toad’s Place;

August 23 — Live and Counting Crows at The Meadows;

August 23-24 — Eddie Money at Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville;

August 25-27 — Dave Matthews Band at The Meadows.

SEPTEMBER 1 — Christina Aguilera at The Meadows Music Theatre, Hartford (no tickets yet);

September 4 — The B.B. King Bluesfest at Ives Concert Park, Danbury, with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, James Montgomery & The New England All-Stars, The Blue in the Face Duo, et al;

September 15 — Blue Oyster Cult at Toad’s Place.