*Danbury-based singer-songwriter JOE COSTA has, in his early 50s, released his first CD and it’s nice. That’s a personal opinion, not part of Mr Costa’s press bio, but you can decide for yourself on Saturday afternoon when Mr Costa plays for a few hours at Bethel Arts Junction.

The Road Home is a collection of songs with lyrics pulled from personal experiences – following arguments with his wife (and manager) Janine, his own gambling history and help found in Gamblers Anonymous, and even his wish to get away from his driving job. That last song is the album’s title track. Expect that and more on April 5 from 2 to 4 pm.

While Road Home is his first solo effort, this work is hardly Mr Costa’s first foray into music and live performances. He played in rock bands all through high school, and formed a Westchester-based band called Imagery during the late 70s which morphed into Shinbone Alley, a country-southern rock-bluegrass band that played around for nearly a decade before disbanding.

Bethel Arts Junction is the red building on the train tracks that used to be Bethel’s train station. Good food and beverages are available all around the train station-turned art venue, and there’s always something artistically good on the walls within the junction. Free parking is also plentiful.

*Clear Channel Entertainment, which brings shows into the Meadows in Hartford at the Oakdale in Wallingford – among numerous additional venues across the country – announced something called “The Smirnoff Summer of Live” this week. It’s an outdoor concert series, “a national music program,” according to Clear Channel’s press release, beginning in May, running through September, and featuring over 170 of today’s most popular artists performing live on stage in 40 markets nationwide.

The bottom line for Connecticut? A handful of new shows to look forward to in addition to those that have already been announced for the Meadows this summer. So in addition to the June 11 POISON-VINCE NEIL-SKID ROW show mentioned last week, and the July 16 JAMES TAYLOR concert, the August 9 OZZFEST 2003 concert, and the August 30-31 DAVE MATTHEWS BAND shows already on sale, now we know that we can look forward to tickets going on sale soon for SANTANA with Angelique Kidjo on June 17; THE DEAD with STEVE WINWOOD, June 21; AEROSMITH and KISS, with SALIVA opening, August 2; THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND the following night; and – woohoo!!! – the return to Connecticut of BON JOVI on August 4.

Chief Executive Officer of Clear Channel Entertainment Brian Becker promises not only a number of enjoyable outdoor concerts, but also “lower ticket prices and one of the largest ticket giveaways in live music history.” This means, according to Tuesday’s announcement, a number of $10 tickets will be made available for each of the Smirnoff shows. The number will be limited, but it’s still a great gesture in an age when tickets continue to skyrocket and Connecticut remains in a lousy budget crisis.

*Tickets for the SANTANA show mentioned above are going on sale Saturday morning, but I don’t have prices available for you. Visit tickets.com for details when you have a sec.

*SANTANA tickets are scheduled to go on sale Saturday morning and true to what was announced earlier this week with this Smirnoff series, there are a limited number of $10 lawn seats available. The $10 tickets are going to be sold only on the first day of on-sale (Saturday, in other words) and have to be purchased in person at the Oakdale box office in Wallingford.

Remaining prices for tickets are $28.50, $46 and $76 for reserved seating, and $25 on the lawn. Contact any tickets.com vendor for these purchases.

*NEIL YOUNG AND CRAZY HORSE announced plans this week to perform in 26 North American cities this summer. The tour gets underway in June and will stop at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville on July 28, sandwiched between shows at Madison Square Garden and Jones Beach. Young is wrapping work on Greendale, and expects to have that released some time this summer. Singer-songwriter LUCINDA WILLIAMS, also scheduled to release a new album (World Without Tears, on April 8), will open all of the North American dates.

*JOHN HIATT will be at The Lincoln Theatre, on the campus of UHartford, on Saturday, May 31. Tickets are $28.50, $33.50, and $38.50, and are available to the public as of April 4.

*Tickets for CHICAGO the band, which will be at Mohegan Sun Arena on Tuesday, June 17, are going on sale next Friday morning. Prices are $25 and $35 for that show.

*BOSTON’s Corporate America Tour is also coming to Mohegan Sun Arena, on Sunday, June 8. Tickets for that show are set at $20 and $30 and are going on sale Saturday, April 19, at 1 pm.

*Finally, two new shows at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den that were added to the calendar this week are DENNIS DeYOUNG on Saturday, May 17, and RICHARD MARX on Friday, May 30. Both have 8 pm start times and both are free (as are all Wolf Den shows).

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

APRIL 4 — Peter Obre and Alan Johnson at 707 On Main, Monroe; Off The Hook at The GW Tavern, Washington Depot; The Benjamins at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; They Might Be Giants at Toad’s Place, New Haven (all ages); Martin Sexton at The Webster Theatre, Hartford (all ages);

April 5 — Joe Costa at Bethel Arts Junction, Bethel (2 pm show); Joe Rockstar at Tuxedo Junction; Off The Hook at 707 On Main, Monroe; Percy Hill at The Webster Theatre, Stephanian opening (all ages); Vance Gilbert at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport, with special guest Paul Gabriel; Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes at Mohegan Sun Wolf Den, Uncasville;

April 6 — Stephen Pearcy of Ratt at The Webster Theatre, Buff Daddy and Nomad opening (all ages);

April 9 — Rusted Root at The Webster Theatre, Army of Me and Defcon 5 opening;

April 10 — The Mooney Suzuki at Toad’s Place (all ages); RA at The Webster Theatre;

April 11 — Peter Obre and Alan Johnson at Gail’s Station House, Ridgefield; Darik & The Funbags at Tuxedo Junction; John Valby at Toad’s Place; 2 Live Crew and Insane Clown Posse at The Webster Theatre, Anybody Killa opening; Eric Anderson at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport;

April 12 — The Nerds at Tuxedo Junction; The Disco Biscuits at The Webster Theatre; Sloan Wainwright Band at Towne Crier Café, Pawling, N.Y.;

April 15 — 6 Second Crush, A Certain Something, Mae, Plain White Ts and This Blue Holiday at The Webster Theatre.

April 18 — Off The Hook at Rathskeller, Southbury; B.O.D. and Sideshow at Tuxedo Junction; Peter Mulvey at Acoustic Café;

April 18 & 19 — Todd Rundgren at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

April 19 — Third Annual WCC Rock Expo at CT Expo Center, Hartford, featuring Cold, Seether, From Zero, Double Drive, Splitshift and Gargantua Soul; Peter Obre and Alan Johnson at 707 On Main; The Gyst at Tuxedo Junction; Raisin Hill at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport; Everclear at The Webster Theatre, Authority Zero, Az-Iz, Fend, Mile Marker Zero, Offshoot and The Exies opening;

April 20 — Eventide at The Webster Theatre, 6Gig, In Itself and In Progress opening;

April 22 — Yo La Tengo at Toad’s Place (all ages);

April 25 — Off The Hook at Carl Anthony’s, Monroe; The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction; The Nields and Cadence Carroll at Acoustic Café;

April 25 & 26 — Toto at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

April 26 — Good Charlotte and New Found Glory at Hartford Civic Center, Less Than Jake and Hot Rod Circuit opening; Hipnotic at Tuxedo Junction; Wayne Keenan at Acoustic Cafe; 7th Enemy, Gaiah, Hammerfist, Rucus and Tubesteak at The Webster Theatre;

April 27 — Tower of Power at The Webster Theatre (all ages);

April 28 — The Doors/Doors 21st Century (Ray Manzarek, Robbie Krieger & Ian Astbury) at Oakdale Theater;

April 29 — Dixie Dregs at Toad’s Place; The Used and Thrice at The Webster Theatre (all ages);

April 30 — Matt Nathenson at Acoustic Café.