*Newtown resident MELISSA CARTOUN will return to Mocha Coffee House in Sandy Hook tonight. This will be Melissa’s second show at the Glen Road eatery and music haven, and she will again be offering a folky acoustic performance. The show will run from 7 to 10 pm.

  *Tickets for OZZFEST 2005, which was one of the first concerts announced for The Meadows this summer, are finally going on sale this weekend.

  The July 17 show will feature 20 bands on two stages, creating more than 14 hours of music. Tickets for the lawn are $38 (or $33 if you buy them on Friday, May 6, when they go on sale), and the reserved seats in the pavilion are $68.50 and $88.50. The tickets will be going on sale Friday, May 6, at 10 am. Purchase these tickets through the Oakdale box office (the Meadows box office isn’t yet open for the season) or any TicketMaster vendor.

  The Hartford show will include BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, MUDVAYNE, SHADOWS FALL, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, AS I LAY DYING and MASTADON.

  *Going on sale on Friday at 4 pm will be the tickets for SANTANA, with LOS LONELY BOYS opening, on Sunday, June 19, at the Oakdale in Wallingford. These tickets are $55 and $65 each.

  Also, tickets for a July 29 O.A.R. show at the Oakdale will be on sale at 4 pm Friday. Those tickets are all $30, and either of these Oakdale shows can also be purchased through the theater’s box office or TicketMaster vendors.

  *Tickets for DEF LEPPARD, with special guest TESLA, who will be at Mohegan Sun Arena on Monday, June 27, will be going on sale Friday morning at 10; a limited number of wristbands will be given out at 7. Tickets are $37 and $47 for this show and will also be available through TicketMaster vendors.

  *Finally, going on sale this Friday – these will be available at 1 — will be the tickets for a July 14 stop by TOM JONES and TOWER OF POWER at Mohegan Sun Arena. Showtime is 7 pm, and tickets are just $20 and $30. Sales at the arena will begin with wristband distribution at 10 am, and all tickets will be released three hours later. Outside the arena, TicketMaster will also be handling sales.

  *JOHN MELLENCAMP & JOHN FOGERTY will bring their co-headlining tour to at The Meadows on Sunday, July 10; tickets go on sale to the public Friday, May 13, at 10 am. Tickets have been priced at $20, $45 and $75.

  Cherry Bomb Fan Club members have had access to tickets since April 25.

  *Ives Concert Park in Danbury has added more shows for its Summer 2005 Concert Series. In addition to STEVE WINWOOD, THE CHIEFTAINS, MICHAEL McDONALD, COLLECTIVE SOUL & GIN BLOSSOMS, which I mentioned a few weeks ago, Bob Connor called to let me know that the schedule is now complete.

  The schedule now includes shows by the original cast of BEATLEMANIA, July 16; The Wildflower Festival featuring JUDY COLLINS with special guest JOAN OSBORNE, July 30; ARTURO SANDOVAL, with Yerba Buena, August 12; MERCY ME, with Salvador, August 26; and HALL & OATES, with Tears For Fears opening, September 1.

  Details about all of this season’s shows are available at the concert park’s website, IvesConcertPark.com.

  Bob also mentioned that the program book for this season is still in the works. Anyone interested in placing an ad or making a tax-deductible donation to Ives Concert Park still has time to do so. There are also different levels of sponsorship available, the details of which are outlined on the website. Give Bob a call at 837-9226 for details.

  *The Webster Theatre in Hartford has added some more shows to its calendar: BABY MACARONI, featuring three of the four members of NRBQ, on June 11; POWERMAN 5000 on July 7; W.A.S.P., LA GUNS and STEPHEN PEARCY on July 14; KOTTONMOUTH KINGS on July 15; and BUDDY GUY on July 23.

  *Going on sale next weekend, also at Mohegan Sun Arena, will be tickets for STEVIE NICKS & DON HENLEY, who will be in Uncasville on Monday, June 6. Tickets are $75, $95 and $125, and will be on sale starting Saturday, May 7, at 10 am.

  Attendees can expect performances by Nicks of her classic solo hits and as well as favorite Fleetwood Mac songs, a showcase of Henley’s solo hits and Eagles standards, and then a set of duets by the pair.

  *ZOX (visit ZoxBand.com for details; the band is Eli “souper” Miller, John “ponyboy” Zox, Dan “taketwo” Edinberg and Newtown native Spencer “spencer!” Swain) has finished work on its second album, The Wait. Produced by Ted Comerford and mixed by Mitch Easter (REM, Pavement, Wilco), the new album features 12 songs in a musical style the band likes to call “rock n’ roll”-rumpshaking, heartbreaking, moodmaking music that you need on your stereo now.

  The album will be in stores August 2, but preorders are being taken through the band’s website until May 31, and offer early buyers some special features. The band has also made a bonus CD of studio outtakes and acoustic demos, and a handmade silkscreen poster of the album art. These two items are going to be sent with preorders only.

  Interested in hearing some of the new music? Chances are Zox will be performing the new material in upcoming shows.

  Connecticut schools will have exclusive appearances for their students (May 14 at Loomis-Chaffee School in Windsor, May 15 at The Kent School, and May 27 at Pomfret School). The good news is, there are two public shows coming up in Connecticut, sandwich between events in Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, New York City and Rhode Island.

  Zox will be co-headlining on Thursday, May 19, at The Acoustic Café in Bridgeport. Tickets for that show are $5 in advance or $9 at the door. Zox will be on around 8:30, and the second band of the evening is CASUAL FIASCO.

  The next Connecticut show will be June 5 at The Webster Underground in Hartford. Tickets are $13 in advance, $15 at the door, co-opener is PARANOID SOCIAL CLUB, and opener is KARL DENSON. Zox is scheduled to be on the stage at 9:30.

  *Tickets are still available for Hartford radio station KISS 95.7 Summer Kick-Off Concert at Riverside Park/Six Flags New England in Agawam, Mass. The Noise To The World Tour, which doesn’t have a stop in Connecticut as of now, features GOOD CHARLOTTE, SIMPLE PLAN, RELIENT K and guest hosts Landon and MJ from MTV’s Real World Philadelphia. The show is set for Thursday, May 19.

  The park will only be open to concert guests, so ticket-holders can take advantage of a relatively calm environment around the rest of the park for six hours. Tickets are $33 and the park will be open from 3 to 9 pm.

  (Anyone already holding a Six Flags Season Pass gets into the concert and park for free. Also, if the May 19 show isn’t good for you the tour will be over at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Mass., on the 21st.)

  *Also coming up at Six Flags New England is KC 101’s Ticket To Ride Concert. Hosted by another Connecticut-based radio station, this concert will be on Thursday, May 19, and tickets are also $33 (or free for season pass holders) and include park admission.

  Headliners for this show are SUM 41 and BOWLING FOR SOUP. (This tour will also be in Boston, at the Avalon Ballroom, on the 19th.)

  Visit SixFlags.com for tickets and additional information on these concerts and other upcoming events in Agawam. This season includes the 2nd Annual Praise in The Park Gospel Concert, July 2; MONTGOMERY-GENTRY (who will again be skipping Connecticut this summer), July 15; and the third annual Voices On High/Fall Quest ’05 on September 17, with REBECCA ST. JAMES headlining.

  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 SHOWS

MAY 6 — Sting at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville; Melissa Cartoun at Mocha Coffee House, Sandy Hook; The Nerds at Toad’s Place, New Haven, The Gamma Rays and Red Handed opening; Echoing August at The Acoustic Cafe, Bridgeport; Emerson Drive at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville;

May 7 — Sammy and The Wabos at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theatre, Ledyard, opening set by Michael Anthony, and Los Tres Gusanos;

May 8 — Marky Ramone at The Webster Theatre, Hartford (all ages);

May 10 — Reverend Horton Heat at Toad’s Place, The Supersuckers and Murphy’s Law opening (all ages);

May 11 — Machine Head at Toad’s Place, Devil Driver, The Haunted and It Does Today opening; Eartha Kitt at Mohegan Sun Cabaret (nightly shows through May 15);

May 12 — Donna The Buffalo at Toad’s Place, The Rafter Bats opening (all ages);

May 13 — Boyz II Men at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theatre; Darik & The Funbags at Toad’s Place, Livin Trust, Megahertz and Green Inside opening; Chris Smither at The Acoustic Café;

May 14 — Glenn Frey at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theatre; Hat City Blues Band at The Lodge, Southbury; Percy Hill at The Webster Theatre;

May 15 — Badfish at The Webster Theatre (all ages); The Samples at Toad’s Place, Virginia Coalition opening (all ages); Alicia Svigal’s Klezmer Fiddle Express at The Acoustic Café; Jeffrey Osbourne at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

May 17 — Social Distortion at Toad’s Place;

May 19 — Sophie B. Hawkins at The Webster Underground; GZA the Genius at Toad’s Place, J-Live, Vast Aire and C Rays Walz opening; Zox and Casual Fiasco at The Acoustic Café;

May 20 — The Kennedys at The Acoustic Cafe; .38 Special at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

May 21 — Hat City Blues Band’s 3rd Annual Newtown Youth Services Benefit Concert at The Fireside Inn, Newtown; John Voket at Mocha Coffee House, Sandy Hook; The Shamrogues at Black Rock Arts Center, Bridgeport; Jeffrey Gaines at The Acoustic Café.

May 22 — John Whelan & John Brennan at Black Rock Arts Center (call for start time); John Hammond at Ridgefield Playhouse, Party Boss opening; Crossfade at Toad’s Place, No Address opening (all ages); Amy Correia and Kenny White at The Acoustic Café; Oak Ridge Boys at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den.