Hot tunes for hot temps 

Air conditioning? Re-runs? C'mon, summer's barely a blink. It arrives, sizzles, and splits way too quick. But this is the way nightlife likes to operate, anyhow; in brief, hot spurts of opportunity --- musical moments in time, if you will. So summertime is perfect for diggin' what you dig live.

There are just 83 days this summer, as opposed to the remaining 282 where Mother Nature re-applies the suction.

Live a little. Live a lot. There's something to do every goddamn day. This list will get you started.

--- Frank De Blase

NOTE: All dates are subject to change.

JUNE

14 --- Dave Matthews Band w/Matisyahu, Six Flags Darien Lake, 7 p.m., $39.50-$59.50, all ages.

The Bellrays w/The Mercies, The Bug Jar, 10 p.m., $6-$8, 18+

The Bellrays are the last bastion of hard-driving rock 'n' soul. The band's unparalleled passion and live tent revival shows will undoubtedly save any soul you have left, and live music in general.

15 --- Danny "Knuckles" Sullivan Tournedo's, 9 p.m., free every Thursday

Knuckles tickles the ivories like an octopus on crank. So yeah, he's a whole lotta fun to watch. And the music's gorgeous too.

16 --- The Lashes w/DamoneWater Street Music Hall, 7 p.m., $8, all ages

Yet another new group leading the move away from whining to rockin' with a dose of New Wave tossed in.

17 --- Eddie Nebula & The Plague CD release show The Bug Jar, 10 p.m., $6

This band's 2005 hit "Rochester Girls" has become an anthem, and in some cases a self-fulfilling prophecy. These punks rock like grounded acrobats.

18 --- Celtic SundaysMilestones, 7 p.m., free, every Sunday

19 --- The White HotsLittle Theatre Café, 8 p.m., $5 table minimum

Keen, laid-back jazz played by three Rochester hipster-scenster cats that wax so cool they probably can feel the earth spin.

20 --- Lee Wright piano, Downtown United Presbyterian Church, noon, free, all ages

Rockin' At The Knox featuring Blondie, Albright-KnoxArtGallery, 5-11 p.m., $40-$45, all ages

Say what you like, Blondie is not a guilty pleasure. I don't care how disco they strayed.

21 --- Bauhaus Town Ballroom, 7 p.m., $37.50, all ages

22 --- ShemekiaCopelandHighFalls Festival Site, 5 p.m., free, all ages

Johnny Clyde Copeland's little girl, Shemekia's music is as big and beautiful as she is. Hers is a velvety roar. I kissed her at the airport once and haven't been the same since.

23 --- The White HotsGazebo @ Veteran's Memorial Park, Webster, 7-9 p.m., free, all ages

24 --- David "Fathead" Newman Montage, 7 & 10 p.m. $20-$40. 21+

25 --- Kelli Hicks Little Theatre Café, 8 p.m., $5 table minimum

26 --- Acoustic blues Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, 10 p.m., free, every Monday

27 --- Open Mic w/Lisa BigwoodDaily Perks Coffee House, 7-10 p.m., free, all ages

Easily the biggest open mic in town, where artists clammer to get on the swollen list hours before doors open.A fantastic way to watch artists develop and work off of one another in an acoustically perfect setting in the South Wedge. Good Joe, too.

28 --- GrupoFantasma Liberty Pole, 5 p.m., free, all ages

29 --- Fred Costello Fedele'sBrookhouse Restaurant, 6-9 p.m., free, every Thursday

Everything goes better with the jumpin', bumpin', swingin', swayin' groove of Fred's B-3.

30 --- Donna The Buffalo Rochester Public Market, time TBA, free, all ages

JULY

1 --- The Electro Kings Beale Street, 8 p.m., free, every Saturday

2 --- Slumdays DJs The Bug Jar, 9 p.m., free, every Sunday

3 --- Open Blues Jam w/Dan Schmitt & TheShadowsClarissaRoom, 9 p.m., free, every Monday

4 --- The Pep Band, HeritageVeteransMemorial Park, Henrietta, 4-9 p.m. (followed by fireworks), free

5 --- The Margaret Explosion Little Theatre Café, 8 p.m., $5 table minimum, every Wednesday

6 --- Dave Mason High Falls Festival Site, 5 p.m., free, all ages

7 --- The Jack Allen Big Band Gazebo at VeteransMemorial Park, 7-9 p.m., free, all ages

Talk about swingin' smooth. Just check out the wall-o-saxophones in this outfit.

8--- Low Ton CD release show The Bug Jar, 10 p.m., $6

9 --- Great Blue Heron Music Festival $57 (weekend pass), $22-$30 (one-day pass), all ages (under 18 w/adult); runs July 7-9

Rochester Music Fest Frontier Field, $50 (two-day pass; children $18), all ages; runs July 7-9

10 --- The String Cheese Incident w/Rat Dog featuring Bob Weir CMAC, 6:30 p.m., $20-$45, all ages

PeteYornWaterStreetMusic Hall, 7 p.m., $16, all ages

11 --- LumiereLittle Theatre Café, 8 p.m., $5 table minimum, every Tuesday

12 --- The BuzzcocksTown Ballroom, 7 p.m., $15, all ages

13 --- Johnny Winter w/David GogoHigh Falls Festival Site, 5 p.m., free, all ages

14 --- Bonnie Raitt w/Keb Mo CMAC, 7:30 p.m., $41-$66, all ages

15 --- Women's Right To Rock The People's Park, all day, free, all ages; runs July 14-16

16 --- 102.1 Edgefest II w/All-American Rejects, Matchbook Romance, Yellowcard, Story Of The Year Molson Amphitheatre, time TBA, $33.50, all ages

17 --- Brave Combo Milestones, time and price TBA

18 --- Ashlee Simpson, Ashley Parker Angel, TheVeronicasSixFlagsDarienLake, time and price TBA

19 --- CyroBaptista and Beat the Donkey Liberty Pole, 5 p.m., free, all ages

20 --- Big Sandy & His Fly-Rite Boys George Eastman House, 6:30 p.m., $5-$15, all ages

Contempo kings of western swing.

21 --- American Idols Live Blue Cross Arena, 7 p.m., $48.50-$68.50, all ages.

Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Frontier Field, 8:30 p.m., price TBA, followed by fireworks.

22 --- Grass Roots Festival $75 (weekend pass), $35 (under 15 weekend pass), all ages; runs July 20-23

23 --- Trinidad & Tobago: Sounds of the CaribbeanIrondequoitTown Hall, 2:30 p.m., free, all ages

24 --- Larry The Cable Guy CMAC, 7:30 p.m., $41-$66, all ages

25 --- The Black Crowes, Drive-By Truckers, Robert Randolph & TheFamilyBandSixFlagsDarienLake, 6:30 p.m., $15-$45, all ages

I guess Chris and Rich needed to release solo albums in order to see how much they needed each other. This is the big show of the year for me.

26 --- O.A.R. w/Jack's MannequinHighFalls Festival Site, 5 p.m., free, all ages

27 --- Ozzfest featuring Lacuna Coil, ZakkWylde & Black Label Society, System of a Down, HatebreedSixFlagsDarienLake, 11 a.m., $30.50-$96, all ages

28 --- JGB featuring Melvin Seals Rochester Public Market, time and price TBA

29 --- Mavis Staples w/The Blind Boys Of Alabama Highland Bowl, time and price TBA

This'll be like church splendor in the grass

30 --- PatrizioBuanne Highland Bowl, closing night of Italian picnic time and price TBA

31 --- Tiger Cried Beef w/Awesome Color Bug Jar, 9 p.m., $5-$7, 18+

AUGUST

1 --- Vans Warped Tour featuring Anti-Flag, Joan Jett, NOFX, SixFlagsDarienLake, noon, $29.50, all ages

Every punk band and band that thinks it's punk playing out in the gravel, dust, and sun.

2 --- The Hold Steady Mohawk Place, Buffalo, time and price TBA

3 --- Steve Riley & TheMamouPlayboysWaterStreetMusic Hall, time and price TBA

4 --- John Seiger & The All-Stars Port Of Pittsford Park, 7 p.m., free, all ages

Close your eyes and it's Satchmo.

5 --- The Legendary ShackshakersThe Bug Jar, 10 p.m., $6

The most dangerous, menacing live act you will see today.

6 --- Paradigm Shift featuring Gray Mayfield Flat Iron Café, 5 p.m., $4 ($2 w/college ID), all ages

7 --- Karaoke w/Buck and Chuck The Roost, 9 p.m., free, every Monday

8 --- Keith Harden Beale Street, 7-10 p.m., free, ever Tuesday

9 --- Guster w/Ray LaMontagneHigh Falls Festival Site, 5 p.m., free, all ages

10 --- The Fabulous Thunderbirds w/The Coupe de Villes High Falls Festival Site, 5 p.m., free, all ages

The T-Birds are so much more than "Tuff Enuff." Just dig my boy Nick Curran on the guitar.

11 --- Bobby Henrie & TheGonersVeteransMemorial Park, 7-9 p.m., free, all ages

12 --- Gelan Y Los Caribes, Sarahi, GrupoCalleUno, Rumbaton, Cachao and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra Puerto Rican Festival, noon-11 p.m., $4-$8 (one-day), $17 (three-day pass); runs August 11-13

13 --- Willie Nelson w/John Fogarty Six Flags DarienLake, time and price TBA

Birds are gonna get stoned at this one. Clouds too.

14 --- Manic Mondays DJs The Bug Jar, 10 p.m., free, every Monday

15 --- Golden Link Sing-A-Round Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church, 7:30 p.m., free, all ages, every Tuesday

16 --- Filthy Funk Wednesdays OR assorted DJs The Bug Jar, 9 p.m., free, every Wednesday

17 --- Tea Leaf Green/Donna the Buffalo LaFayette Square, Buffalo, 5 p.m., free

18 --- Jack Edward Smith & Ryan T Carey ThaliOfIndia, 7-9 p.m., free, all ages

19 --- Chris BottiCMAC, 7:30 p.m., $18-$43, all ages

Sulaco CD release show Bug Jar, 9 p.m., $6, 21+

20 --- The Beach Boys CMAC, 3 p.m., $13-$23, all ages

21 --- Karaoke w/Walt O'Brien Flipside, 8 p.m., free, every Monday

22 --- The Monty Alexander Trio Horizons Lounge, 7:30 p.m., price TBA; plays August 22-23

23 --- The Steepwater Band Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, 10 p.m., free

24 --- GapMangioneBigBandIrondequoitTown Hall, 7 p.m., free, all ages

25 --- KeithUrbanNew YorkState Fairgrounds, 7:30 p.m., $45-$50, all ages

26 --- Bug Jar Fest Highland Bowl, all day, free, all ages

27 --- Paradigm Shift featuring Gray Mayfield Flat Iron Café, 5 p.m., $5 ($3 w/college ID), all ages, every Sunday

28 --- Fritz's Polka Band New York State Fairgrounds, time and price TBA

29 --- DJ David Lee The Roost, 7 p.m., free, every Tuesday

30 --- Harper Dinosaur BBQ, 10 p.m., free

31 --- Skaneateles Festival (pieces by Handel, Mozart, Shostakovich) First Presbyterian Church, Skaneateles, 8 p.m., $13-$21; runs August 9-September 2

SEPTEMBER

1 --- Sonic Youth New York State Fairgrounds, 7:30 p.m., call for tix, all ages

Just imagine; Thurston Moore's guitar with the smell of manure.

2 --- Moe.down 7 noon, $80 (three-day pass), all ages; runs September 1-3

3 --- ForeignerNew YorkStateFairgrounds, time and price TBA

Without Lou, it's just foreign.

VENUES

Albright-KnoxArtGallery 1285 Elmwood Ave, Buffalo, 716-882-8700

Beale Street689 South Ave, 271-4650

Blue Cross Arena100 Exchange Blvd, 232-1900

The Bug Jar219 Monroe Ave, 454-2966

Clarissa Room293 Clarissa St, 325-5350

Daily Perks Coffee House 389 Gregory St, 271-2340

Dinosaur Bar-B-Que 99 Court St, 325-7090

Downtown United Presbyterian Church121 N Fitzhugh St, 325-4000

Fedele'sBrookhouse Restaurant3590 W Ridge Rd, 723-9988

Flat Iron Café561 State St, 454-4830

Flipside2001 E Main St, 288-3930

Frontier Field1 Morrie Silver Way, 423-9464

George Eastman House900 East Ave, 271-3361

Grass Roots Festival Route 96, Trumansburg, 607-387-5098

Great Blue Heron Music Festival Wait Corners Rd & Bailey Hill Rd, Sherman, 716-484-7070

Henrietta Veterans Memorial Park595 Calkins Rd, Henrietta,334-7700

HighFalls Festival Grounds 4 Commercial St, 428-6690

Highland Bowl Off of South Ave

Horizons LoungeThe Lodge @ Woodcliff, 199 Woodcliff Dr, 381-4000

Irondequoit Town Hall1280 Titus Ave, 336-7273

LaFayette Square Main and Court streets, Buffalo, 716-856-3150

Liberty Pole Corner of East Ave and Main St

Little Theatre Café240 East Ave, 258-0412

Milestones 170 East Ave, 325-5880

Moe.down 7SnowRidgeSkiMountain, Turin, 315-785-5409

Mohawk Place 47 E Mohawk St, Buffalo, 716-855-3931

Molson Amphitheatre 909 Lakeshore Blvd W, Ontario Place, Toronto, 416-260-5600

Montage50 Chestnut St, 232-1520

New YorkState FairgroundsOff Route 690, Syracuse, 315-472-0700

People's Park Routes 5 & 20, Seneca Falls, 315-568-1219

Puerto Rican FestivalRochester Civic CenterPlaza, 234-7660

Rochester Public Market 280 N Union St, 428-6907

The Roost4853 W Henrietta Rd, 321-1170

Six Flags Darien Lake9993 Allegheny Rd, east of Buffalo, 232-1900

Skaneateles Festival97 E. Genesee St., Skaneateles, 685-7418

ThaliOfIndia 3259 S Winton Rd, 427-8030

Tournedo's @ The Inn On Broadway 26 Broadway, 269-3888

Town Ballroom681 Main St, Buffalo, 716-852-3900

Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church1200 Winton Rd S, 234-5044

Water Street Music Hall204 N Water St, 325-5600

Webster Veterans Memorial Park North Ave, WebsterVillage, 265-3770