*Georgetown Saloon will present a “Community Spotlight Night” to benefit Ability Beyond Disability and their ongoing Autism research on Wednesday, February 20, beginning at 7 pm. The saloon is planning “an evening of enlightenment, education, silent auction and entertainment; all to help raise money for this important cause.” The special night will focus specifically on programs that are being developed for autism research at Ability Beyond Disability. The schedule will consist of a short informational presentation, a silent auction of items including original signed artwork by Hi & Lois and Hagar the Horrible comic strip artist Chance Browne, New York Yankees tickets and New York Philharmonic tickets at Lincoln Center. Following the auction there will be live music by Chance Browne & Friends (yep, Mr Browne also happens to be a great musician).

Ability Beyond Disability, a health and human service organization providing community based services for people with disabilities throughout Connecticut and New York, recently announced efforts to proactively respond to the growing service needs of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

There is no admission for the event itself, but donation envelopes will be available on each table and organizers are hoping that attendees will be generous with their auction bids as well. All of the proceeds from donations and the auction will go directly to Ability beyond Disability.

*Following an unprecedented ten sold out shows last month, Staind lead singer AARON LEWIS already has plans to return to Mohegan Sun’s Cabaret Theatre for another series of solo acoustic shows. Lewis will return to the 300-seat theater for performances Wednesday, February 20, through Sunday, February 24. All shows will begin at 7:30.

Tickets for all shows are $75 and available through the casino’s box office and through TicketMaster vendors.

*Also coming to Mohegan Sun, to its arena, will be JETHRO TULL, who I believe is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. That’s absolutely amazing.

The band will be in Uncasville on Sunday, August 10, for a 7 pm show, and tickets are just $25 and $40 – an incredible bargain in today’s concert ticket world. This tickets are already on sale, and also available through Mohegan Sun’s box office and TicketMaster vendors.

*Country superstar-island boy at heart KENNY CHESNEY will bring his Pirates & Poets Tour to Mohegan Sun Arena for two nights in April. Tickets go on sale Saturday morning, priced at $95, $110 and $125, for the April 18-19 series.

LeAnn Rimes will open both evenings.

*Also on sale by the time you read this (unless you grab the paper Thursday afternoon) are tickets for a solo acoustic show by JACKSON BROWNE, who will be at the Chevrolet Theatre in Wallingford on Sunday, April 6.

Tickets for this show are $35 and $55, and available through LiveNation.com and any TicketMaster vendor.

*The JONAS BROTHERS will bring their Look Me In The Eyes Tour to Connecticut for two shows, two days apart, next month.

Both shows — Sunday, March 16, at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, and Tuesday, March 18, at the Chevrolet in Wallingford — will be going on sale Saturday at noon. Tickets for the Bridgeport show will be available for $30, $40 and $50, while the Wallingford show will have tickets priced at $33 and $50.

Both shows’ tickets will be available through LiveNation.com and TicketMaster, and both performances will feature opening sets by Rooney.

 *Having celebrated Fat Tuesday and the culmination of Mardi Gras a few days ago, Mocha in Sandy Hook is returning to its weekend music schedule tonight (Friday) with (and this is very exciting) a performance by FARIFIELD CROSSING, who performs traditional and contemporary Celtic folk music.

Then on Saturday night it’ll be INFRASONIC (née Will Lindsay), paying homage to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon. Both shows (all shows at Mocha, in fact) will be 7:30 to 10 pm at the 3 Glen Road coffee house.

Next weekend the stage area will be busy with performances by BAMBOO RED (Mike Johnson and Walter Murphy) on Friday, February 15, and then a return by J.D. HILL on Saturday night.

*Also in Sandy Hook, John Voket is in the process of organizing a Sunday Night Jam at Mocha. He wants this series to be an open forum of communal music for musicians of all abilities.

Interested? Send an email to JohnVoket@gmail.com or info@MochaCoffeeHouse.com.

(By the way, Rob at Mocha is always interested in hearing from people who may be ready to play the coffee house. Send him a note at artists@MochaCoffeeHouse.com).

 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

FEBRUARY 8 — Fairfield Crossing at Mocha Coffee House, Sandy Hook; The Doug Wahlberg Band at The Atrium at Foxwoods Casino, Ledyard (also February 9); Joe Perry at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theatre; Roxy Perry at Georgetown Saloon, Redding; Darik & The Funbags at Toad’s Place, New Haven, Running with Scissors and One Jack Move opening; Chuch at The Acoustic Café, Bridgeport; Jeff Pitchell & Texas Flood at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café, Hartford;

February 9 — The Doug Wahlberg Band at The Atrium at Foxwoods; Infrasonic at Mocha Coffee House; Chance Browne & Friends at Georgetown Saloon; Matt Detroy and Strawberry Brown & Jenn Ackerley at The Acoustic Cafe; Shawn Kellerman at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

February 11 — HJS Jazz Jam at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

February 12 — Down at Toad’s Place (all ages);

February 13 — I Love Hip Hop featuring Brand Nubian at Toad’s Place, also sets by Stezo, Apathy, Mook N Fair, Lady Fain, et al (ages 18 and up); electric rock and blues jam featuring Roger Edel’s “Hotbox” at The Acoustic Café (21 and over); Burt Teauge Blues Jam at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

February 14 — Bruce in the USA at Toad’s Place, The Remedy opening (all ages); Johnny Durkin at The Acoustic Café; MZ Acoustic Showcase at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

February 15 — Bamboo Red at Mocha Coffee House; Ludacris at Fairfield University’s Alumni Hall, Fairfield; Fade To Blue at Georgetown Saloon; Shakedown at Toad’s Place, Mo’ Folkies and Candy Mantra opening (all ages); Down Lo at The Acoustic Café, Larissa Delorenzo & Friends opening; Gina Sicilia at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

February 16 — J.D. Hill at Mocha Coffee House; Charlie Karp & Friends at Georgetown Saloon; Dylan Connor at The Acoustic Café, Milton opening; The Colbys at Black-Eyed Sally’s.