*SOL DOG has three shows remaining this month, including a benefit for children infected with AIDS.

Next weekend the band returns to The Avenue Café in Bridgeport (Friday, January 16) and the following weekend (January 23) it’s a return to Café 127 in Shelton. Then on Sunday, January 25, Rev, Ron, Mark and Curtiss will be headlining the 4th Annual Bru Rm @ Bar Connecticut Real Ale Festival.

The annual benefit held at New Haven’s simply-named bar, in the downtown area about a block from the green (254 Crown Street; telephone 203-495-8924), offers live music, brick oven pizza and plenty of award-winning home brewed beer. The event runs from 1 to 5 pm, but get there early. The line to get into Bar was around the block last year when the doors opened at 1.

The good news is, last year’s fundraiser welcomed nearly 800 people and raised over $15,000. I’ll post more information as I receive it. Tickets are $20 and the event will sell out. It always does, and this year’s event is being limited to 500 tickets.

Admission includes two samples (more than 20 brewers have already committed to the 2004 event; up to 30 cask conditioned ales are expected to be available by the 25th), a tasting glass that you get to keep, the aforementioned pizza and live entertainment, and are available at the bar, Delaney’s (also in New Haven), Maltose Express in Monroe, and Mountview Liquors in Naugatuck.

Proceeds will benefit The Pediatric AIDS Fund of New Haven.

*DAVID SANBORN starts the new year’s musical calendar at The Ridgefield Playhouse for Movies and The Performing Arts on Thursday, January 22, with an 8 pm show. Tickets are available for $60 and $70. For details or to reserve tickets contact the playhouse’s box office at 203-438-5795.

*Blues guitarist JONNY LANG has been added for a February 12 at The Webster Theatre in Hartford. Tickets for the all ages show, at $27.50, went on sale last weekend; call the theater’s box office at 860-525-5553 or go to any tickets.com vendor for tickets.

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

Questions and comments should be sent to Shannon Hicks c/o The Newtown Bee, 5 Church Hill Road, Newtown, CT 06470, or shannon@thebee.com, or call the office at 426-3141.

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

UPCOMING CONCERTS

JANUARY 16 — Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes at The Webster Theatre, Hartford (all ages); Off The Hook at The Redding Roadhouse, Redding; Gandalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus of Dreams at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport; Sol Dog at The Avenue Café, Bridgeport; Freebird and Cold Shot at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; Running From Dharma and M-80 at The Empress Ballroom, Danbury (all ages);

January 16-17 — John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville; The Lucky Peterson Organization at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café, Hartford;

January 17 — SideShow at Stash’s, New London; The Kennedys at Acoustic Café; Parrotville at The Colorado Brewery, Danbury; Shattered Realms, The Killing and Forgetting Tomorrow at The Empress Ballroom (all ages);

January 18 — Tightrope, No Tomorrow, Strained Existence, et al at The Webster Theatre (all ages);

January 22 — David Sanborn at The Ridgefield Playhouse for Movies & Performing Arts; The Tommy Castro Band at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

January 23 — Hat City Blues Band at Mario’s, Danbury (formerly Blues Alley); SideShow at Black Rock & Blue, Bridgeport; Sol Dog at Café 127, Shelton; Gargantua Soul at Toad’s Place, New Haven (all ages); Big Boned at The Acoustic Café, The Pull opening; The John Primer Band at Black-Eyed Sally’s (also January 24); The Roots at Tuxedo Junction; Bayside, Days Like These, Welton, et al, at The Empress Ballroom (all ages);

January 24 — B.B. King at The Warner Theatre, Torrington; Lara Herscovitch at Acoustic Café, followed by Green Inside and The Daria Musk Trio; Off The Hook at 707 On Main, Monroe; Anti-Flag at Toad’s Place (all ages); The John Primer Band at Black-Eyed Sally’s (also January 23); Them Bones at Tuxedo Junction;

January 25 — Sol Dog at Bar, New Haven (early show, 1-5 pm, part of annual beer tasting-food tasting-music fundraiser for The Pediatric AIDS Fund of New Haven).