*Tickets went on sale Thursday morning at Toad’s Place in New Haven for a September 14 show by OYSTERHEAD. This is a band comprised of TREY ANASTASIO of PHISH, LES CLAYPOOL, and STUART COPELAND, the drummer from THE POLICE. There is a two-ticket limit for this show, tickets are $30 apiece and are being sold right now only from the club, at 300 York Street in New Haven.

*YES, formed in 1967, has been on the leading edge of progressive rock music for over three decades. The band has created some of rock’s most enduring hits including “Roundabout,” “Seen All Good People” and “Owner Of A Lonely Heart.” But no performance is more legendary among long-time fans than the band’s March 21, 1970, Queen Elizabeth Hall gig. Of the hundreds of shows Yes have played, that one night in 1970 was the only time until recently that Yes performed its sweeping orchestral rock with an actual orchestra.

With each passing year, the legend of the Queen Elizabeth Hall gig has grown larger, and fans’ desire to see an orchestral Yes perform its classic songs has reached a fevered pitch.  The band has answered the call and as of mid-July, the band’s best-known and probably most revered line-up has been on the road. Vocalist JON ANDERSON, guitar wizard STEVE HOWE, bassist/co-founder CHRIS SQUIRE and longtime drummer and percussionist ALAN WHITE set to work on a new studio album earlier this year. The idea was to replace the traditional keyboard role with a full orchestra. The band collaborated with Emmy Award-winning television and motion picture (The Contender) composer Larry Groupé. The next logical step was to then perform with an orchestra once again, which is what Yes, along with Groupé arranging and conducting, has been doing along with a full 60-piece orchestra. The band has been performing a blend of old and new songs.

There’s a great quote going around that originally appeared in The Los Angeles Times: “Yes create[s] sort of a classical modern pop: a wacky mix of Stravinsky, Moody Blues and Vangelis scores.”

The reason I am going on so about the band is that the guys have three shows in Connecticut this month and next, and tickets are still available for all of them. On Saturday, August 25, the band will be at Mohegan Sun Casino’s Uncas Pavilion in Uncasville (visits tickets.com or call the casino’s box office at 888-332-5600. A week later, on September 1, they will be at the ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford (203-265-1501 or www.ctnow.com), and then on Memorial Day Monday the band will be at Ives Concert Park in Danbury (visit any TicketMaster outlet, call 744-8100 [the local TicketMaster number] or the concert park’s box office at 837-9226, or visit www.ivesconcertpark.com).

*For SOL DOG, this weekend will open with a return to Classic Rock Brew Pub in Danbury on Friday night. I think this may be the first show by the band since its fantastic pre-Fourth of July gig, but even without fireworks (literally…), Rev, Ron, Mark and Curtis put on good show. The club is at 1 Wibling Road, between Fairground Liquors and Sports Authority/Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Saturday night, Sol Dog returns to New York City for another show at Hogs & Heifers, and then next weekend the guys have a mid-afternoon show at The Avenue Café in Black Rock. Yes, that’s correct — mid-afternoon. The café is planning a BBQ on the deck, rain or shine, starting at 3:30. Call the club, 203-333-7848, for details.

*The concert tour schedule for THE GUESS WHO has been rearranged a bit so that now the band apparently has a three-night gig at the ctnow.com Oakdale in Wallingford. That’s according to a press release sent out this week by the band’s promoters, but the Oakdale continues to have just the September 15 show listed. Tickets are $45 and $65 for the 7:30 pmshow, part of the band’s The American Woman Reunion Tour featuring JOE COCKER. Call the Oakdale’s box office (203-265-1501), Tickets.com charge line (888-332-5600) or go online to Tickets.com to get tickets for that show.

Also still available are tickets for Friday night’s (August 24) Voices of Metal show, featuring VINCE NEIL, RATT, SLAUGHTER and VIXEN. Remaining tickets for that are $22.50 and $32.50 apiece, and the best bet would be to buy them at the box office Friday night.

Next Wednesday’s LLOYD’S/B.B. KING BLUES MUSIC FEST, scheduled for August 29 and featuring sets by King, BUDDY GUY, JOHN HIATT and TOMMY CASTRO, also has tickets still available. Those seats range from $28.50 to $54.60 and are available through the same outlets as The Guess Who. Showtime is 6 pm.

*COUNTING CROWS returns to Connecticut in October for the first time since last summer’s double-bill with LIVE at The Meadows. The band will be at Yale University’s Old Campus Building on October 7 and then at Foxwoods Casino on the 23rd. No ticket details yet for either show. STEW, from THE NEGRO PROBLEM, will be opening all but two of the shows, which will include material from an as-yet-unreleased new album.

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; or call The Bee office at 426-3141.

Shows listed on the calendar at club locations are for ages 21 and over unless specified.

 

UPCOMING CONCERTS

AUGUST 24 —Vince Neil, Ratt, Slaughter and Vixen at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford; Nils Lofgren at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge, Uncasville (free show); Sol Dog at Classic Rock Brew Pub, Danbury; DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid with Matthew Shipp at Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield; Hipnotic at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; Deep Banana Blackout at Toad’s Place, New Haven (all ages);

August 25 — Yes at Mohegan Sun Pavilion, Uncasville; The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction; Moppin’ Sauce at Lily Lake Inn, Wolcott;

August 26 — The Allman Brothers Band at Meadows Music Centre, Hartford, Susan Tedeschi opening;

August 29 — The B.B. King Blues Festival at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre, with King, Buddy Guy, John Hiatt and Tommy Castro; Kansas at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show);

August 30 —Lloyd’s Blues Music Festival at Mohegan Sun’s Uncas Pavilion featuring B.B. King, Buddy Guy, John Hiatt & The Goners, and Tommy Castro (show starts 5 pm); Maxi Priest at Toad’s Place, The Lightning opening (all ages);

August 31 — Johnny Rawls at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Styx at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theater; The Wallbangers at Tuxedo Junction; Candiria at Toad’s Place, Edipus opening (all ages).

SEPTEMBER 1 —The Yes Symphonic Tour at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford; Erykah Badu at Foxwoods, Ledyard; Darik & The Funbags at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury;

September 2 — Sol Dog at The Avenue Café, Black Rock (**mid-afternoon show); W.A.SP. at The Webster Theatre, Hartford (all ages), with Mushroomhead, Flotsam & Jetsam, et al (mini metal festival, additional bands to be announced); 2 Skinnee J’s at Toad’s Place, New Haven, Slackjaw opening (all ages);

September 3 —radio 104 Fest 2001 at ctnow.com Meadows Music Center featuring Blink 182, The Crystal Method, Dave Navarro, Alien Ant Farm, Sum41, Scapegoat Wax, Newfound Glory, Prime S.T.H., Stereomud, Saliva, Boy Hits Car, Crash Palace, The Start, Jimmy Eat Wrld, Bad Ronald, Cold, The Calling, et al; The Yes Symphonic Tour at Ives Concert Park, Danbury;

September 4 — Disco Biscuits at Toad’s Place (all ages);

September 7 — REO Speedwagon at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theater; Moppin’ Sauce at Amberjacks, South Norwalk; Duncan Sheik at Aldrich Museum, Ridgefield (**note: space is limited, call the museum before driving over, 203-438-4519);

September 8 — Moppin’ Sauce at Hot Shots II, Newtown; Disco Biscuits at The Webster Theater;

September 9 — Alabama at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre; Soulcracker at The Webster Theater, Missing Joe, Eclectic Nobodys and Save Face opening (all ages);

September 11 — Buju Banton at Toad’s Place, New Haven, Slightly Stoopid opening (all ages); Earth, Wind & Fire at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre with Rufus featuring Chaka Khan;

September 12 — John Mellencamp at Meadows Music Centre, Hartford, The Wallflowers opening;

September 13 — Anthony Gomes at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café, Hartford; John Valby at Toad’s Place.

September 14 — Oysterhead at Toad’s Place; Anthony Gomes and Walter Trout & The Radicals at Black-Eyed Sally’s.