*The Rolling Stones have been on so many so-called “farewell” tours that I’ve lost count. Phil Collins, at least, is calling his current trek the First Final Farewell Tour.

Cher is having a tough time saying Good-Bye. The original ultimate diva is coming back, yes, again, to Connecticut with her Living Proof – Farewell Tour. Mohegan Sun Arena announced on Monday that CHER will be back in Uncasville on Saturday, August 28.

Tickets for this show are $75.25 and $95.25, and will be going on sale Saturday, June 12, at 10 am. Tickets will be available through Mohegan Sun’s in-house box office (a limited number of wristbands will be distributed at 7), and through the tickets.com outlet of your choice. A full 25¢ of each ticket will be donated to an unnamed charity.

For anyone keeping track, this will be the performer’s third appearance at Mohegan Sun Arena. Cher was part of the arena’s weekend-long star-studded grand opening celebration in June 2002, and then she performed a Living Proof – Farewell Tour show at the arena last July (in addition to a show a week later at Hartford Civic Center and another show during the tour at The Arena at Harbor Yard, I believe).

*Father’s Day Weekend, June 18-20, will see the 17th Annual Fairfield County Irish Festival, which returns this year to Seaside Park in Bridgeport. Organizers are promising three days/48 hours of non-stop Irish music and entertainment, rain or shine (all music will be in tents). Admission is $10 each day or $15 for a three-day pass for adults; $8 for high school and college students with photo ID; and free or ages 16 and under when accompanied by an adult.

The festival will run from 6 pm until 11 on Friday, noon to 11 pm on Saturday, and noon to 8 pm on Sunday.

Over 1,000 on-site parking spaces have been added to the location, and organizers have doubled the bus transportation schedule.

Highlights this year will include performances EILEEN IVERS and her band IMMIGRANT SOUL (Friday 8:30, in the Main Tent); the Kansas-based band THE ELDERS (Saturday at 8 and Sunday at 3, both in the Main Tent); local favorites ONCE REMOVED (Saturday, 8:30 until the close of the evening at 11, in the Pub Tent; and then again to anchor “Once Removed & The Irish Festival All-Stars,” a jam event that will close the whole festival on Sunday from 6-8 pm); LIZ McNICHOLL & FRIENDS (Sunday, 2:30 in the Pub Tent), RAY MATTIE & POGEY (Pogey being what his band is now known as, Friday 8:15 until closing in the Pub Tent, Saturday at 4:15 in the Pub Tent, and Sunday 12:15 in the Main Tent), THE GLENGARRY BHOYS (Friday at 6:15 and Saturday at 12:15, both in the Main Tent), and five performances by dancers from THE LENIHAN SCHOOL OF IRISH DANCE (Friday at 8 pm, Saturday at 2 and 8, and Sunday at 2:30 and 5:30, all in the Main Tent, plus two presentations during SHAMROGUES performances, Saturday at 1:30 and Sunday at 12:30, in the Cultural Tent).

This is just a tiny portion of the festival’s entertainment schedule. Believe me, there will be good music running all weekend.

Because the weekend is a family celebration of not just music but Irish art and culture as well, there will be plenty of food and gift vendors participating, a children’s tent, and even a Cultural Tent that will host performers among displays about the Greater Bridgeport St Patrick’s Day Parade History, programs by The Gaelic American Club on Irish Language, and even presentations on Native Dog Breeds of Ireland.

Want full festival details? Call 203-333-4736 or visit www.IrishFestival.org.

*Three of WCSU’s student musicians will be joining members of the Parliament-Funkadelic family for a performance at The Lounge at Tuxedo Junction in Danbury on Friday, June 18. WestConn students CHRIS DEANGELIS will play bass, JOHN “ez” BLANCK will be on keyboards and horns, and TREVOR SOMERVILLE will be playing drums for the VARSITY SQUAD performance.

The guys will be joined by Rico Lewis, known as RICO SMOOV, who is touring with GEORGE CLINTON & THE P-FUNK ALL-STARS and several other members of the P-Funk family including Citrus, Shonda Clinton and Twisted.

Admission is $7. Call the club for the show’s scheduled start time; 748-2561.

*COURTNEY LOVE’s June 18 concert at Toad’s Place in New Haven has been rescheduled to June 24.

Among the new shows on the club’s schedule is a July 12 concert by BIG HEAD TODD & THE MONSTERS and a July 24 performance by THE MISFITS, featuring Dez from Black Flag and Marky Ramone.

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

JUNE 11 — Hootie & The Blowfish at Foxwoods’ Fox Theatre, Ledyard; Ghostface Killah at Toad’s Place, New Haven (all ages), Cormega opening; Three Days Grace at The Webster Theatre, Hartford, Thornley opening; Deep Banana Blackout at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury;

June 12 — The Unforgettable Fire at Toad’s Place, Bullfrog Tribute, The Gamma Rays and Missing Joe opening; Fallout Boy at The Webster Theatre, Anberlin, Don’t Look Down and Punchline opening; The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction;

June 13 — Sevendust at Toad’s Place (all ages); Kottonmouth Kings and OPM at The Webster Theatre, Scarebears and Dub Massive opening (all ages);

June 14 — Puddle of Mudd at The Webster Theatre (all ages); Rooney at Toad’s Place, Staylight Run and Ozma opening (all ages);

June 15 — Reel Big Fish at Toad’s Place (all ages), Big D & The Kids Table, Lucky Boys Confusion, RX Bandits and Catch 22 opening (all ages);

June 16 — Richard Thompson Band at Toad’s Place, Danya Kurtz opening (all ages); Smile Empty Soul, Steriogram and Moments in Grace at The Webster Theatre;

June 17 — An Evening with Rickie Lee Jones at Toad’s Place (all ages); Jessica Simpson at Mohegan Sun Arena; Jennifer Hartswick Band at The Webster Theatre, (featuring members of The Trey Anastasio Band, Rane, Scarecrow Collection, et al);

June 18 — Melissa Etheridge at Ives Concert Park, Danbury, Kate Clinton opening; John Valby at Tuxedo Junction;

June 19 — Badfish at Toad’s Place, BigEd, SMFK and Social Hero opening (all ages); Motograder and 40 Below Summer at The Webster Theatre; Darik & The Funbags at Tuxedo Junction;

June 22 — Burning Spear at Toad’s Place (all ages), Anthem opening;

June 23 — Moody Blues at Mohegan Sun Arena;

June 24 — Liz McNicholl & Friends at The Acoustic Café, Bridgeport; Courtney Love at Toad’s Place (all ages);

June 25 — Little Feat at Toad’s Place, Rizzz opening; Tim McGraw at Meadows Music Theatre; Dickey Betts & Great Southern at The Webster Theatre, Cosmos and Jonny Law opening; Three Dog Night at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den (also June 26);

June 26 — Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire at The Meadows; Three Dog Night at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; School’s Out For Summer Extravaganza featuring Gargantua Soul at Toad’s Place, Base 2, Sick Ticket, Beeners Revenge and Cade opening (all ages); The Benjamins at Tuxedo Junction;

June 27 — Little River Band at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Aimee Mann at Toad’s Place, Paul Bryan opening (all ages); Believer-Fest at The Webster Theatre featuring Believer, Killing Jar and Vicious Disorder (all ages, door open 3 pm);

June 28 — Van Halen at Hartford Civic Center.