*If you want to see two of your favorite Bee staffers in one evening (or want to know how to avoid us), Friday will be your lucky night.

My friend and fellow editor JOHN VOKET will be performing his final Newtown Relay For Life/Luminaria “Shining on for a CURE” fundraiser and pre-Relay celebration on Friday night. He’ll be at Proud Mary’s from 8 to 11:30 pm with plenty of live music and banter. John has also pledged to match the donations of the first five luminary sold that evening – up to $50 out of his own pocket.

To kick off your Proud Mary’s visit, I suggest a visit to one of summer’s biggest events in town: The Sandy Hook Fire Department Lobster Fest! I’ll be serving up the lobster Friday and Saturday night, and all of the money you guys spend on those lobster fest tickets will fully benefit the volunteer fire department. The lobster fest will run on Friday from 5 to 9 pm and Saturday from 3 to 9 pm at Sandy Hook’s Main Station, on Riverside Road in Sandy Hook.

Tickets are $20 in advance or $22 at the door, and they cover a full lobster or steak dinner. A raw bar is also available, and kids’ meals with burgers or hot dogs are also available. Those tickets can be purchased at the door. You can visit the lobster fest, fill up on fresh-cooked seafood, and still have time to catch the second half of J-Vo’s show in the center of town.

*Two shows that were announced this week for The Chevrolet Theatre go on sale this morning (June 8). Tickets have been priced at $35 and $45 for DEEP PURPLE, with Blue Oyster Cult and The Edgar Winter Band, who will be in Wallingford on Thursday, August 2.

Also on sale are the tickets, which run from $45 to $95 apiece, for JAMES TAYLOR, who is bringing his One Man Band Tour to town on Wednesday, August 15.

On Monday at 10 am, tickets for Hippiefest: A Concert for Peace & Love will go on sale. This show will be on Friday, June 27, also at The Chevrolet, and will feature performances by THE TURTLES (featuring Flo & Eddy), FELIX CAVALIERE’S RASCALS, THE ZOMBIES (featuring Colin Blundstone and Rod Argent), MOUNTAIN (featuring Leslie West and Corkey Laing), MITCH RYDER, BADFINGER (featuring Joey Molland) and COUNTRY JOE McDONALD. Tickets for that show are $38 and $48.

Tickets for all three of these shows are available through LiveNation.com, all TicketMaster vendors, and from the Chevrolet Theatre’s box office.

 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

JUNE 8 — John Voket at The Inn at Newtown; Alan Jackson and Brooks & Dunn at Dodge Music Center, Hartford; The Jesse Collin Young Band at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café, Hartford; Jay Stollman & The Black Rock All Stars at The Georgetown Saloon, Redding;

June 9 — Hat City Blues Band at Jimmy’s Seaside, Stamford; Eran Troy Danner & Hot Dallas at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Roxy Perry at Georgetown Saloon;

June 10 — Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at The Ridgefield Playhouse; Georgetown Day Special Benefit Jam Concert at Georgetown Saloon, featuring Roxy Perry and friends (4-10 pm);

June 11 — Willie Nelson at The Warner Theatre, Torrington;

June 14 — round four of 2007 CT Blues Society Blues Challenge at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Cowboy Junkies at The Ridgefield Playhouse;

June 15 — The Todd Wolfe Band at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Ron Nihoff & The All Stars at Georgetown Saloon;

June 16 — Peter Karp & The Roadshow at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Curtis T at Georgetown Saloon;

June 17 — Toots & The Maytals at The Ridgefield Playhouse;

June 20 — Dan-O, Joey Vee and John Selwin at Georgetown Saloon;

June 22 — Bob’s Your Uncle at Georgetown Saloon;

June 23 — Lynyrd Skynyrd at Dodge Music Center, The Doobie Brothers opening; Fade To Blue at Georgetown Saloon; 35th Annual Reggae Festival at Woodbury Ski Area featuring Tosh Meets Marley, The Fully Fullwood Band, Victor Essier & The Mandators, (also June 24);

June 24 — Asia at The Ridgefield Playhouse (all original members); 35th Annual Reggae Festival at Woodbury Ski Area (see June 23 details);

June 25 — Old Crow Medicine Show at East Hartford Cultural Center;

June 26 — Poison at the Chevrolet Theatre, Ratt and White Lion opening;

June 27 — Bob Dylan at Mohegan Sun Arena; All Grass Blue Stars at Georgetown Saloon;

June 29 — The Doug Wahlberg Band at Georgetown Saloon;

June 30 — Summer of Love 2007 at The Warner Theatre, Torrington (Jefferson Starship, Big Brother & The Holding Company, Quicksilver Messenger Service, It’s A Big Bad Beautiful Day and Tom Constaten); Joan Osborne at The Ridgefield Playhouse; Uncle Mustache at Georgetown Saloon.