Hello everyone! I’m home once again, and have wrangled my music space back from John Voket. Hope he took good care of everyone last week.

*Newtown may be about to lost one of its musicians.

Karl Schwichtenberg, who is a member of the band SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION, has been diagnosed with inoperable pancreatic cancer. We lost someone very dear to most of us here at The Bee less than a year ago following a similar diagnosis, and it wasn’t an easy thing to go through. We wish the best to Karl and his family.

Family and friends are organizing a concert event, “jam for karl,” to celebrate and recognize Karl’s musical contributions and are hoping the public will join them for the fundraiser. The event will be held Friday, February 6, from 7 to 11 pm, in The Alexandria Room at Edmond Town Hall here in Newtown. Right now the event is already promising music from BIG ERIC & THE BIDGT CRUNCH with CHANCE BROWNE, CHARLIE KARP, THE MATT RAE TRIO, TIM DeHUFF, and SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION. Additional special guests will probably be added as the date draws closer.

Tickets are $29 if purchased in advance, and will be $33 at the door. All proceeds will help with medical costs and related expenses.

Advance tickets can be purchased at Edmond Town Hall; Route 7 Music, at 355 Federal Road in Brookfield; Disc and Dat, 107 Greenwood Avenue in Bethel; Ridgefield Music, 19 Governor Street in Ridgefield; Sally Place, 190 Main Street in Westport; and even on ebay, by searching for jam for karl.

For the latest list of performers and other details about the event, visit JamForKarl.com.

*Mocha Coffee House in Sandy Hook will welcome THE BACKWATER RACKET to open the weekend tonight. These folks perform folk music infused with blues, country and rock, as well as their own originals, traditionals and covers. Should be an interesting performance, which will run from 8 to 10 pm.

Tomorrow night’s show will be by the acoustic guitarist BRIAN JARVIS, also from 8 to 10, whose influences include John Mayer and Vertical Horizon.

*Tickets will be going on sale this morning (Friday, January 16) for an April 28 show by JOE COCKER at The Palace Theater in Waterbury. Doors will open at 6:30, showtime is 7:30, and this will be an evening with the British soul singer – there is no opening performer scheduled.

Prices have been set at $39.50, $59.50 and $79.50, and tickets can be ordered at PalaceTheaterCT.org or by calling 203-755-4700 any time after 10 this morning.

*The Palace has already put tickets on sale for another upcoming show, THE DEREK TRUCKS BAND, who will bring their Already Free 2009 Tour into Waterbury on Sunday, February 8. Tickets for that show run $27.25 to $51.75 and are available through the same phone number and website mentioned above.

*Later next month HAMMER OF THE GODS will present their “Led Zeppelin Experience” show on Friday, February 28. Those tickets are $32.25 to $52.25.

*KENNY CHESNEY’s Sun City Carnival 2009 Tour will kick off at Mohegan Sun Arena with a two-night start on April 17 and 18. Tickets for these shows will be going on sale this morning (Friday, January 16) at 10 am through TicketMaster vendors and have been priced at $95, $110 and $125. If these shows don’t sell out, remaining tickets will also be available for purchase through the casino’s box office beginning Saturday morning.

Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum will both have opening sets.

*THE ADULTS were on the road last weekend, returning to The Cookhouse in New Milford, and will be back on the road before the end of the month. The Newtown based band will be at Proud Mary’s in Newtown on Saturday, January 31; return to The Cookhouse on Friday, February 6; and then play over at The One-Eyed Pig, in Ricky’s Shopping Center in Newtown, on Saturday, February 28.

The band has brand-new, original music posted on its MySpace page: MySpace.com/TheAdultsRock.

*THE WAY-BACK MACHINE will be at The Redding Roadhouse next weekend, starting around 9:30 on Saturday, January 24. These four guys from Fairfield County have a passion for music from the Sixties, and faithfully re-create “the sound that fueled the passion of millions around the world – the look, the music and the memories,” bass player and vocalist Paul Fredricks recently wrote in an email. Also in the band is drummer Rob Scheckler, guitarist and vocalist Tom Scheckler, and guitarist and vocalist Bobby Russell.

These guys recently performed for The Rascals and The Animals at Ridgefield Playhouse, and during both performances received standing ovations and were called back for an encore… something you and I know does not happen very often for opening acts.

*Feel like some pre-Inauguration funk? Toad’s Place in New Haven is planning an Inauguration Funkfest on Sunday night, with REARVIEW headlining an evening that will also include O.N.E. featuring Doc-P, The Terryl Lee Band, Boogie Chillun and baby Elephant.

Doors open at 7:30, the music is expected to start around 9, and tickets are $8.50 in advance or $10 on Sunday. The show is open to celebrants of all ages.

*Also announced this week are the concert and on-sale dates for 3 DOORS DOWN, who will be at Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday, February 27, with Hoobastank in the opening slot.

Tickets are $45 and go on sale Monday at 10 am, and then also through Mohegan Sun’s box office 24 hours later.

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 clubs are for ages 21 and over unless specified.

UPCOMING SHOWS

JANUARY 16 — The Backwater Racket at Mocha Coffee House, Sandy Hook; John Brown’s Body at Toad’s Place, New Haven, The Brew opening (all ages); 5 Below Zero at Georgetown Saloon, Redding;

January 17 — Brian Jarvis at Mocha Coffee House; Aztec Two Step at Fairfield Theatre Company, Fairfield; Blues Patrol at Georgetown Saloon;

January 18 — Rearview at Toad’s Place, O.N.E. featuring Doc-P, Terryl Lee Band, Boogie Chillun and Baby Elephant opening (all ages);

January 21 — Drive-By Truckers at Toad’s Place, Don Chambers and Goat opening (all ages);

January 23 — Sammy B at Mocha Coffee House; Toby Keith at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Jason Aldean opening; Reel Big Fish at Toad’s Place, Streetlight Manifesto and Tip the Van opening (all ages);

January 24 — Chris Belden at Mocha Coffee House; The Way-Back Machine at Redding Roadhouse; The Good Time Boys at Toad’s Place, The Energy, The Divide and Chaosphate opening (all ages);

January 30 — Rakim at Toad’s Place (all ages); Richie Havens at Fairfield Theatre Company;

January 31 — The Adults at Proud Mary’s, Newtown; Graham Parker at Fairfield Theatre Company.