*For the first time in a long time, a new Live Nation concert venue has been announced in Connecticut.

Live Nation Connecticut announced on March 12 a new concert venue inside the Comcast Theatre plaza grounds in Hartford. The Festival Stage At The Comcast Theatre will be a 6,000 general admission concert venue inside the Comcast Theatre plaza and be additional concert space that looks to present five to six shows each summer. The Comcast Theatre pavilion will not be open during these events.

 Located to the top left of the plaza as you make your way to the lawn (this area has hosted many second stages on major tours like Mayhem, Warped and Uproar), the new area will be carved out to present major touring acts in a fun outdoor GA environment. Affordable ticket prices are being promised, along with VIP Packages and premium platforms incorporated into the area.

On Wednesday afternoon it was announced that KASKADE's Freaks Of Nature Tour was the first show to be booked for the new stage. The DJ and record producer will bring his 46-city tour to Hartford on Saturday, June 23, and tickets are going on sale this Saturday morning at 10 am. They have been priced at $20 to $39 (although it isn’t clear to me how general admission tickets can have different price levels…) as well as $125 VIP tickets that will include early bird admission and a gift bag.

Tickets will be sold through LiveNation.com, which will be the outlet for all Festival Stage shows.

Kaskade headlined last year's Identity Festival, the first traveling EDM festival in North America, but watch for him to pull out even more stops for this first tour of his own.

Additional Festival Stage in 2012 shows will be announced soon.

*BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS continue with their winter/spring club tour — their first in over three years — and I see there is a stop scheduled on May 5 at Mohegan Sun Casino’s Wolf Den. For select stops along the tour, the band has been performing their breakout album, Midnight Radio, live in its entirety.

Unfortunately while we will have BHTM and even Blues Traveler performing within a few weeks of each other (BT will be in the Wolf Den on April 13), the Last Summer on Earth Tour that kicks off in early July and includes those two groups along with BARENAKED LADIES and CRACKER does not have a Connecticut stop on its itinerary.

*Also in Mohegan Sun news this week, The Midwest Rock N’ Roll Express, featuring STYX, REO SPEEDWAGON and TED NUGENT, will roll into Uncasville on Thursday, July 5. Tickets won’t be on sale until Friday, March 30, but I figured I would give you guys a heads up that they’re coming.

All seats are $40, and tickets will most likely be available through TicketMaster, which the casino usually uses but I have not been able to confirm yet this week.

*Doug, Rich, T Bone, Rick, and George P. Miller — better known as THE DOUG WAHLBERG BAND — will open the weekend with a pre-St Patrick’s Day show at The Georgetown Saloon. The show may start as a pre-St Patrick’s Day event, but considering the band won’t be on stage before 9:15, I’d say it’s a safe bet to say they’ll be playing at least a little into the first hours of March 17 as well.

Wear your green and throw some birthday wishes Doug’s way. Rumor has it he’ll be celebrating it on Friday.

 *Speaking of St Patrick’s Day, Stone River Grille owner Gary Seri tells me he will welcome THE MURPHY BROTHERS BAND into his Sandy Hook restaurant on Saturday. Showtime is 8 pm, and I believe there is no cover for that show either. The restaurant is at 1 Glen Road, and there is plenty of parking in the paved lot at 3-5 Glen Road.

*Two notes from different bands this week about upcoming shows at The Redding Roadhouse.

THE BLUE YODELS, an acoustic trio who plays country, jazz and rock from the 1950s until today, will be at 406 Redding Road on Thursday, March 22. Their show is scheduled to begin around 7:30 and will last about three hours. There is no cover to get in.

THE WAY-BACK MACHINE, the Fairfield County band that plays music from the 60s and 70s and pulled its name from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show (“or more specifically, from Peabody’s Improbable History,” according to a recent note from band member Paul Fredericks), will be at the venue on Saturday, March 24. Their showtime is 9:30.

*And finally this week, a final reminder that tickets are still available for BILL FRISELL and SAM AMIDON, who will be co-headlining the March 19 Live at Edmond Town Hall event at 45 Main Street right here in Newtown. Tickets are $19.99, but you will see that when you go to check out an automatic $10 donation toward the ETH Restoration Fund is tacked on, so plan accordingly. It’s still a great price considering “either [performer] is impressive as a stand alone musician. To have them both together here is kind of mind blowing,” organizer Hayden Bates told Newtown Bee Features Writer Nancy Crevier during a recent interview.

To reserve tickets or for additional information give Hayden a call at 203-270-4285. Tickets can also be purchased online through EdmondTownHall.org.

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

MARCH 16 — Nitty Gritty Dirt Band at The Ridgefield Playhouse, Roger Sprung & The Progressive Bluegrassers opening; Doug Wahlberg Band at The Georgetown Saloon, Redding; Brit Floyd at the Oakdale, Wallingford; Jackie Greene at Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne, Fairfield;

March 17 — The Murphy Brothers Band at Stone River Grille, Sandy Hook; Uncle Mustache at The Georgetown Saloon;

March 18 — The Saw Doctors at The Ridgefield Playhouse;

March 19 — Bill Frisell and Sam Amidon at Edmond Town Hall, Newtown;

March 22 — The Blue Yodels at The Redding Roadhouse;

March 23 — Toni Braxton at The MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods, Mashantucket, with special guest Babyface; Old School at Mona Lisa, Wolcott;

March 24 — The Way-Back Machine at The Redding Roadhouse;

March 25 — Third Annual Ridgefield BandJam at The Ridgefield Playhouse (middle and high school age bands showcase);

March 28 — Shawn Colvin at Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne;

March 30 — Joan Osborne at Infinity Music Hall; Old School at Proud Mary’s, Newtown;

March 31 — Thomas Dolby at The Ridgefield Playhouse, with special guests Aaron Jonah Lewis and Ben Belcher; Lou Bellofatto at Café on The Green, Danbury; Gomez&Sadlon at The Twisted Vine, Derby;

APRIL 1 — Los Lobos at Infinity Music Hall, Norfolk;

April 4 — Los Lobos at The Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield;

April 7 — Average White Band at Infinity Music Hall; Further featuring Phil Lesh and Bob Weir at the Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford;

April 8 — The Marshall Tucker Band at Infinity Music Hall;

April 10 — Kevin Costner & Modern West at The Ridgefield Playhouse;

April 11 — Kevin Costner & Modern West at Infinity Music Hall;

April 13 — Cee Lo Green at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Mashantucket, Melanie Fiona opening; NRBQ at Infinity Music Hall; The Mickey Hart Band at The Ridgefield Playhouse; Blues Traveler at Mohegan Sun Casino’s Wolf Den;

April 14 — The Fray at The MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods;

April 19 — Merle Haggard at The Warner Theatre, Torrington;

April 20 — The Moody Blues at the Oakdale Theatre;

April 21 — The Charlie Daniels Band at The Palace, Waterbury (rescheduled from October; tickets from original date will be honored); Creed at Mohegan Sun Arena; Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas at the Oakdale Theatre; Greg Lake: Songs Of A Lifetime at The Ridgefield Playhouse.

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April 22 — The Bacon Brothers at Infinity Music Hall;

April 26 — Dickey Betts and Great Southern at The Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield;

April 27 — An Evening with Paula Cole at Quick Center for the Arts, Fairfield University; Nickelback at the XL Center, Hartford, with special guests Bush, Seether and My Darkest Days; Counting Crows at The MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods; Taylor Hicks at The Ridgefield Playhouse;

April 28 — Daughtry at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods; SOLD OUT: An Acoustic Evening with Mary Chapin Carpenter and Shawn Colvin at Infinity Music Hall;

April 29 — Chicago at The MGM at Foxwoods; Colin Hay at The Ridgefield Playhouse.