When tickets go on sale Saturday morning at 10 am at the Mohegan Sun box office and all tickets.com outlets, the base prices are $76, $126, $176 and $251.

*How does that song go? “(bum bum bum) another one bites the dust / and another one gone, and another one gone / another one bites the dust.”

Another chapter of local music history ended last weekend, and it was somewhat unexpected (but not completely because let’s be honest, once that place lost its brewing license [and therefore had to change its name] there went half its draw – the pub-brewed beer that brought in a huge number of people). CLASSIC ROCK AIRPORT PUB closed its doors for good on after the end of business on Saturday, May 3.

I don’t mean to sound so flippant with the Queen lyrics above. They just seem fitting for the moment, but I’m truly sorry to see the club go. I enjoyed seeing live music over there.

(Needless to say there won’t be a show over there this weekend or any weekend by Sol Dog or anyone else.)

*Hat City Blues Band will be playing a benefit show for Newtown Youth Services next week at Edmond Town Hall. Details on that show are elsewhere in this week’s Enjoy section.

A few weeks later the band will be returning to Pequonnock Yacht Club in Bridgeport, where they played last weekend for the first time. June 7, the night the band returns to the Bridgeport yacht club, is perfect for the band considering it had been scheduled to perform that night at what is now the former Classic Rock Airport Pub (see item above).

*The schedule is out for the Summer 2003 season at Ives Concert Park in Danbury. WILLIE NELSON will be opening the season on Saturday, June 21, at 8 pm. The season continues with the annual Pops & Fireworks – this year with Hartford Symphony Orchestra under Conductor Peter Mansfield – on July 5, HALL & OATES on July 12, KENNY LOGGINS on July 18, SHERYL CROW (yes! In Danbury!) on July 27, JARS OF CLAY and SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER on August 3, INDIGO GIRLS on August 9, Musical Fair America (details on that will be coming later) the weekend of August 16-17, and JULIO IGLESIAS to close the season on August 22.

Tickets for all shows are on sale through TicketMaster and the Ives Park’s box office. Remember that ticket prices increase $3 if you purchase them at the gate.

*Tickets for VAN MORRISON, who will be at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford on Monday, June 16, have gone on sale. Tickets are $68, $75, $85 and $95, there is a four-ticket-per-person limit, and tickets are available through the Oakdale’s box office or tickets.com outlets.

*By the time this column hits the stands this week tickets for RADIO 104 FEST 2003 will also be on sale. Already announced so far for the Friday, July 4 show is STAINED, EVANESCENCE, HOOBASTANK, TRAPT and THIRD EYE BLIND as main attractions, along with Eve 6, Authority Zero, Autopilot Off, Revis, The Exies, Switchfoot, Gob, Hot Hot Heat, Diffuser, Smily Empty Soul, 2 Skinnee Js, Zug Izland, Fiction Plane, Lo-Po, Throne, and Fear Nuttin’ Band. radio 104 continues to offer the best bargains around: Tickets for this show are only $25 for reserved seats and $15 for the lawn. Doors open at 10 am for this show, which is fine considering we’ll all have the day off anyway and there’s a lot of music to be played before the end of the night.

Also going on sale, on Friday at 4 pm, are tickets for Wednesday, June 25, when the Meadows hosts ROCK THE MIC 2003 featuring JAY-Z, 50 CENT, MISSY ELLIOTT, BUSTA RHYMES and FABOLOUS. Showtime is 8 pm and tickets are $28 for the lawn, $48 reserved. If you manage to catch a glimpse of this column shortly after the paper comes off the presses on Thursday or even if you grab The Bee early enough on Friday, take note: There will be a limited number of $10 lawn tickets available on Friday only, and you need to purchase them in person at the Oakdale’s box office in Wallingford.

Tickets for both of these new shows are also available from any tickets.com outlet.

*Some time between last week, when I couldn’t located these prices and details for you, and this week the tickets for NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE at Mohegan Sun Area went on sale. Tickets are $55 and $75, and available through tickets.com or from the arena’s box office, 800-477-6849. Lucinda Williams will open the July 28 show.

*Local folks CHARISMA have two shows in the near future. The band gets its first shot at Molly Darcy’s in Danbury on Thursday, March 15 (showtime is 9 pm), and then returns to Jim Barberies, also in Danbury, on May 24, starting around 9:30.

*Metal quartets SEPULTURA and VOIVOD will be at The Webster Theatre next week, bringing a co-headlining tour into Hartford. The tour kicked off on April 18 and is an effort for Voivod to support its 13th release – the self-titled album that is also the first with former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted – while Sepultura is said to be playing stuff from Roorback, due out next month. Tickets for the May 18 show are $18 (general admission, pre-service charges) and available through tickets.com vendors.

A few nights later former GRATEFUL DEAD keyboardist VINCE WELLNICK plays The Webster. Tickets for that show, which happens on Thursday, May 22, are $12.50 (general admission, pre-service charges). Dreamswell has the opening set that night.

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

MAY 9 — LL Cool J at The Arena at Harbor Yard, Bridgeport, Amerie, Tosha Makia and go opening; Lucinda at Borders Books, Danbury; Center Stage at Tuxedo Junction; Dope at The Webster Theatre, Hartford, Zug Island and Tapping The Vein opening (all ages); Bernard Allison at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café, Hartford; Dope at The Webster Theatre;

May 10 — Toxic Narcotic at The Empress Ballroom (all ages); King’s X and Fishbone at The Webster Theatre, Sugarfist, Johnny Law and Revelaria opening (all ages); Wayne Keenan at The Acoustic Café, Bridgeport, with guest vocalist Vesta Williams (limited seating left); The Benjamins at Tuxedo Junction; Sugar Ray & The Bluetones featuring Monster Mike Welch at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Luther “Guitar Junior” Johnson at Towne Crier Café, Pawling, NY;

May 11 — The Start at The Webster Theatre;

May 13 — Unloco at The Webster Theatre;

May 14 — Little Feat at Tuxedo Junction, Fuzz & Friends opening;

May 15 — Charisma at Molly Darcy’s, Danbury; Kottonmouth Kings at The Webster Theatre, Riddlin Kids and Anybody Killa opening;

May 16 — Hat City Blues Band at The Alexandria Room (Edmond Town Hall), Newtown; Lucinda at Borders Books, Wilton; Center Stage at Tuxedo Junction; Sol Dog at The Red Door Café, Watertown; Larry Garner at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Rane at The Webster Theatre, Missing Joe, The Goods and Burning Ferns opening;

May 17 —Peter Obre and Alan Johnson at 707 On Main; Them Bones at Tuxedo Junction; Larry Garner at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Dennis DeYoung at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville; Kansas at Palace Theatre, Stamford (rescheduled from March);

May 18 — Sepultura and Voivod at The Webster Theatre;

May 20 — Matchbox Twenty at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Sugar Ray opening;

May 21 — Red Shift at Tuxedo Junction, Echo opening (all ages); Lynch Mob at The Webster Theatre;

May 22 — Vince Wellnick at The Webster Theatre, Dreamswell opening;

May 23 — Peter Obre and Alan Johnson at Gail’s Station House, Ridgefield; Center Stage at Tuxedo Junction;

May 24 — Charisma at Jim Barbarie’s, Danbury; Screaming Broccoli at Tuxedo Junction;

May 25 — Cher at Mohegan Sun Arena;

May 28 — 2 Skinnee J’s at Tuxedo Junction, Silent Groove opening (all ages);

May 30 — Dick Dale at Toad’s Place; Center Stage at Tuxedo Junction; Eric Sardinas at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Richard Marx at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

May 31 — John Hiatt at UHartford’s Lincoln Theatre; The Gyst at Tuxedo Junction; Sol Dog at The Corner Pocket, Orange; Richard Marx at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Psychedelic Breakfast at The Webster Theatre, RAQ, Turn It Up and Bunji opening.