*Late notice, I know, but if your Saturday night is still open this weekend and you don’t mind a ride to Bridgeport, a WPKN benefit show featuring WASHBOARD SLIM AND THE BLUE LIGHTS is being offered at Acoustic Café. This club picks a favorite artist each month and features that particular show as its monthly benefit for the Bridgeport-based radio station at 89.5 FM. Proceeds from the cover charge are donated to the station, and admission on January 6 is $10. Showtime is 9 pm. Acoustic Café is at 2926 Fairfield Avenue. Call 203/335-FOLK (3655).

Later this month the café will be hosting the January meeting and songwriters’ showcase of Connecticut Songwriters Association. All are invited to attend. If you aren’t sure about the group or joining it, non-members are welcome to sit in for a reduced rate, if not free, for a meeting or two. Annual membership is $20, and the association offers the opportunity to network, learn and perform among some of your Connecticut songwriting peers. The meeting and songwriters’ showcase will be on Wednesday, January 17, beginning at 8 pm. For additional CSA information, the Watertown-based association can be contacted at 860/945-1CSA (1272) or visited on the web at www.ctsongs.com. These showcases at the café have been scheduled once a month through the end of the year, which I will continue to print in this calendar for you as well as on the Enjoy calendar page.

The following night will be CRAIG PETTI’S STRATOVISION, which sounds like it might be really cool or just too weird to be enjoyable. This one is described as a space/rock/local concept/theme band, but for $5 how bad could the evening be? This one I just might have to find out about for myself. Showtime is 8 pm.

 *Speaking of the Connecticut Songwriters Association (two paragraphs ago!), the group’s first meeting of the month will be on January 16 in Danbury. That night, the CSA will hold a regular members’ meeting followed by a program by Jon Marcus, the executive director of The Recording Academy of Arts and Sciences. What, you dare to ask, is NARAS? Think: Grammy Awards! See two paragraphs ago for CSA contact info if you are interested in the Danbury meeting.

*They haven’t been making headlines lately, but INSANE CLOWN POSSE will be returning to Connecticut nevertheless in a few weeks. This time around it will be a regular performance and not something in conjunction with the already-failed ISP Wrestling Federation. The posse will be at The Webster Theatre in Hartford on January 21; Marz opens.

Next week the Webster will welcome JORMA KAUKONEN. The January 11 show is open to all ages. If Kaukonen’s name doesn’t sound familiar perhaps some of the names off his résumé will ring a bell: the legendary guitarist (and founder of The Fur Peace Ranch guitar camp in southeastern Ohio) has worked with JANIS JOPLIN, JERRY GARCIA, JIMI HENDRIX, JEFFERSON AIRPLANE and HOT TUNA during the last three decades. Kaukonen’s “Embryonic Journey” is now widely recognized and was one of the first acoustic guitar instrumentals to appear on a major rock album (Airplane’s second release, Surrealistic Pillow). Recent work has had Kaukonen touring in 1996 and 1996 with the Further Fest and his appearances during the end-of-the-evening jams gave him a brand-new generation of fans and acoustic finger style guitarists.

*KIM, the singer with The Parting Gift and a Newtown resident, will have another solo show in the area this weekend. The singer-songwriter has been taped to be the opener for GAZZARA on January 6 at Cousin Larry’s. The club is on Elm Street in Danbury, which is immediately off Main Street. Showtime is 9:30.

*And finally this week, a correction. We all make mistakes sometimes; mine just show up in print.

The MORRIS DAY & THE TIME show I mentioned last month as coming up this week at Foxwoods is in actuality going to be taking place on February 2. My mistake. The good news is, tickets are still available for that one. For details on this show, contact the casino in Ledyard at 800/200-2882 or any TicketMaster outlet (including TicketMaster.com).

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

JANUARY 5 — Shakedown at Toad’s Place, New Haven (all ages), Sonic Plague and Eastside opening; Joe Proc at Carl Anthony’s, Monroe; Them Bones at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury;

January 6 — Gig, Hyde, Thirty Stones, Facing Sideways and 8-Trak Mind at The Webster Theater, Hartford (all ages); Moppin’ Sauce at Fat Daddy’s, Watertown; Washboard Slim & The Blue Lights at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport (monthly WPKN benefit); Gazzara at Cousin Larry’s, Danbury, Kim (of The Parting Gift) opening; Screaming Broccoli at Tuxedo Junction;

January 11 — Lara & La Rama at Acoustic Café; Jorma Kaukonen at The Webster Theatre;

January 12 — Sol Dog at Café 127, Shelton; Gargantua Soul at Toad’s Place (all ages), Sonic Plague and Eastside opening; Joe Proc at Putnam House, Bethel; Gandalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus of Dreams at Acoustic Café; Peanut Jones at Tuxedo Junction;

January 12 & 13 — B.B. King at Foxwoods Casino;

January 13 — Nate Borofsky, Daniel Barrett & Kristin Cifelli at Acoustic Café; Joe Rock Star at Tuxedo Junction;

January 16 — Cheap Trick at Foxwoods Casino;

January 17 — CT Songwriters Association Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport;

January 18 — Craig Petti’s Stratovision at Acoustic Café;

January 19 — 2 Skinnee J’s at Toad’s Place (all ages); Clutch and Corrosion of Conformity at The Webster Theater (all ages); As-Is and Mr Superlove at Webster Underground (21+); Joe Proc at Carl Anthony’s; Mappari at Acoustic Café; The Benjamins at Tuxedo Junction;

January 20 — Frank Black & The Catholics at Tune Inn, New Haven; Burn Thru, E Ver and Strychnine at Webster Underground; Too Human at Acoustic Café; The Wallbangers at Tuxedo Junction; Sol Dog at The Avenue Café, Black Rock;

January 21 — Christina Abbott at Acoustic Café; Insane Clown Posse at The Webster Theatre, Marz opening (all ages);

January 26 — Max Creek at Toad’s Place (all ages); Quiet Riot at The Webster Theater (all ages); Off The Hook at Sky Box Café (formerly Larkin’s), Fairfield; Professor Louis & The Cromatixs at Acoustic Café; The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction;

January 27 — Percy Hill, Truckload of Tweed and Feed at The Webster Theater; X-It at Acoustic Café, En4A opening; Fubar at Tuxedo Junction.

FEBRUARY 2 — Vertical Horizon at The Webster Theater, Hartford, Sister Hazel opening (all ages); Joe Proc at Carl Anthony’s, Monroe; Darik & The Funbags at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; Morris Day & The Time at Foxwoods, Ledyard;

February 3 — G Soul, Toxic Field Mice, simple and Still Life at The Webster Theater (all ages); Joe Proc & Abu at Mimi’s, Danbury; Big Orange Cone at Tuxedo Junction;

February 16 — After Dark III featuring Rane, The Thang and Picasso’s Jelly at The Webster Theater (all ages)

February 17 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café.

MARCH 21 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport.

APRIL 25 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport.

MAY 23 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport.

JUNE 20 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport.

JULY 18 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport.

AUGUST 22 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport.

SEPTEMBER 19 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport.

OCTOBER 24 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport.

NOVEMBER 21 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport.

DECEMBER 19 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport.