*Tickets for a historic fifth show by BILLY JOEL will be going on sale Saturday, March 1, at 10 am, through TicketMaster venues. Four shows that went on sale last weekend each sold out quickly (the first, for Friday, May 23, sold out in five minutes; the second, on Sunday, May 25, then sold out in 13 minutes; and then, according to the folks at Mohegan Sun, third and fourth shows were also put on sale and sold out just ask quickly.

Now a fifth show, to take place on Friday, June 13, is going to be put up for grabs on Saturday morning, priced from $49.50 to $98.50.

The June show will be a record-breaker for Joel and Connecticut venues. The current record is a four-show sold out run at Hartford Civic  Center back in 2005.

*Everyone remember ZOX? This is the band that Newtown native Spencer Swain and pals formed six years ago while they were attending Brown University… the guys (singer and guitarist Eli Miller, drummer John Zox, violinist Spencer, and bassist Dan Edinberg) will be back in Connecticut this weekend, headlining a show at Fairfield Theatre Company.

The guys will headline a show that will also feature an opening set by Matt White on Sunday, March 2. Tickets are $15 ($10 for FTC members), doors open at 7, and showtime is 7:30. For tickets and additional information visit FairfieldTheatre.com.

*Meanwhile in Sandy Hook, SCOTT PARKER – the singer-songwriter from Newtown whose band, Magenta Passport, played throughout the region in the late 80s and early 90s – will have the stage area at Mocha tonight. The show will run from 7:30 until about 10 pm and will include material from the three Passport CDs (Bird and Baby, Welcome to This Exact Second and  Sophomore Slump along with a mix of work originally done by the Beatles, Pink Floyd, REM, Robert Johnson, Bob Dylan, et al.

Admission, as always for Mocha events, is free.

*ROBERT PLANT and ALISON KRAUSS have scheduled a series of spring dates to celebrate and support their surprisingly successful performing partnership, and will bring the tour for Raising Sand into Connecticut for a June 4 show at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Tickets have been set at $45 and $65, and will be going on sale Monday, March 3, at 10 am, through all TicketMaster outlets. Remaining tickets will also be available through the casino’s box office beginning Tuesday morning.

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 29 — Toby Keith at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, with special guests Gary Allan, Carter’s Chord, Mica Roberts and Trailer Choir; Smokehouse at Georgetown Saloon, Redding; The Nerds at Toad’s Place, New Haven, Take October opening; Indobox and Otherwise at The Acoustic Café, Bridgeport (Black Rock); Brian Templeton Blues Band at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café, Hartford.

MARCH 1 — Blue Oyster Cult at The Ridgefield Playhouse, The Doug Wahlberg Band opening; Debbie Davies at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café, Hartford;

March 2 — Zox at Fairfield Theatre Company, Fairfield, Matt White opening;

March 4 — Horrorpops at Toad’s Place, New Haven, The Pink Spiders, Steve E Nix & The Cute Lepers, and Royale Brothers opening (all ages);

March 6 — Johnny A. and Coco Montoya at Fairfield Theatre Company;

March 7 — Bon Jovi at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Daughtry opening (also March 8); Doug Wahlberg Band at The Atrium at Foxwoods, Ledyard (also March 8); Rane at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

March 8 — Bon Jovi at Mohegan Sun Arena, Daughtry opening; Doug Wahlberg Band at The Atrium at Foxwoods; J. Geils and Gerry Beaudoin at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

March 9 — John Waite at The Ridgefield Playhouse;

March 11 — Los Lobos at The Ridgefield Playhouse;

March 12 — Little Feat at The Ridgefield Playhouse; Gregory Isaacs at Toad’s Place (all ages);

March 13 — The Walkmen at Toad’s Place (all ages);

March 14 — Black Sun Music Festival at Toad’s Place (also March 15, all ages); Brian Auger & The Oblivion Express at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Felix Cavalier’s Rascals at The Ridgefield Playhouse, Way-Back Machine opening;

March 15 — Black Sun Music Festival at Toad’s Place (all ages); The Savage Brothers at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

March 16 — k.d. lang at The Palace Theater, Waterbury; The Jonas Brothers at Arena at Harbor Yard, Bridgeport, Rooney opening.