Groove to the beat at summer concerts

The lawn is up to your knees. It rained all last week, and now it’s 800 degrees and wicked muggy. Construction just started on your street, so now it takes you 5 hours to get to work. Worst of all? Aunt Kathy and Uncle Bob are up from Florida, and they want lobster and whoopie pies – stat.

Let’s face it: I’m busy. You’re busy. We’re all busy. So why not take a vacation from your summer vacation and check out one of the literally hundreds of concerts and shows around the state? Here are a few of my recommendations. The relatives may just have to wait – or come along.

. The Baystock Music Festival 2006 is set for the weekend of Aug. 12-13 on the Maine State Pier in Portland. This year’s performers include Dr. John, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, deSoL and Cindy Bullens on Saturday, and the Saw Doctors, Rory Block and Blues Traveler on Sunday. The festival benefits the Jessie B-C Fund, which helps children with cancer.

. Live hip-hop in Maine is easy to find this summer. The Asylum in Portland (www.asylumlive.com) will feature DJ and producer Prince Paul on Friday, July 14. Prince Paul is better known as one half of Handsome Boy Modeling School and for his work with De La Soul. Hip-hop duo The Coup is made up of rapper Boots Riley and DJ Pam the Funktress, and combines politically charged rhymes with funk-inspired rhythms. They play at Portland’s Space Gallery on Wednesday, July 19. Wu-Tang Clan associate Killah Priest drops by the Asylum on Aug. 15.

. For alt-rock fans, British electro-folk songstress Beth Orton takes the stage at the Asylum on Saturday, July 8. A few days later, on July 11, scruffy troubadour Pete Yorn will make a stop there on his

all-acoustic tour. Local boy Ray Lamontagne plays with New England favorite Guster at the Cumberland County Civic Center on Aug. 19, along with indie rockers Rogue Wave.

. The Space Gallery (www.space538.org) is a sure bet for experimental and indie rock. The

multitalented folk-popper Danielson and his ragtag family band will play songs from his critically-acclaimed new album “Ships” on Thursday, July 20, with local indie rock band Phantom Buffalo. Toronto avant-garde collective A Silver Mt. Zion, featuring members of the indefinitely on hiatus Godspeed You! Black Emperor, performs on Thursday, July 27, with Montreal’s Black Star Orkestar, who aim to create a “new Jewish music” that embraces the past while looking to the present for inspiration.

. The Alive at Five Music Series is held at 5 p.m. every Thursday in Portland’s Monument Square through August 10. On July 13, Canadian Celtic rockers Enter the Haggis will perform; on July 20, jam band Strangefolk will play; for July 27, check out the jazz rock of the Karl Denson Trio; and on Aug. 3 Grace Potter and the Nocturnals will make an appearance. Best of all: It’s completely free.

. Versatile musician John Hiatt plays at the Merrill Auditorium on Thursday, July 13, with southern-fried roots rockers North Mississippi All Stars. Also at Merrill, Peter Frampton will probably ask audience members if they feel like he and the rest of his band does when he takes the stage on Saturday, July 15. Sans talk box? I hope not! Fans of ’70s rock have a lot to enjoy this summer, besides Frampton coming alive: The Steve Miller Band will play at the Augusta Civic Center on Aug. 18.

. Songwriters seem to love our state. Maybe it’s because we value plain-spoken sincerity, or maybe it’s because they’ve just wised up to what a cool place Maine is. The charismatic country and western performer Lyle Lovett plays at the Merrill Auditorium on Aug. 16. Bluegrass legend Ralph Stanley will be at the Stone Mountain Arts Center in Brownfield on Aug. 13. Stone Mountain also hosts confessional folksinger Dar Williams on Aug. 17. And the granddaddy of sensitive acoustic folk rock, James Taylor, plays at the Cumberland County Civic Center on Aug. 24.

Ticket information: The Asylum and Space Gallery tickets are available at all Bull Moose Music locations. Baystock Music Festival and Merrill Auditorium tickets are available at www.porttix.com. Cumberland County and Augusta Civic Center tickets can be purchased at Ticketmaster outlets or online at www.ticketmaster.com. For the Stone Mountain Arts Center, go to www.stonemountainartscenter.com. Emily Burnham can be reached at eburnham@bangordailynews.net.