*The concert by THE NEW CARS and BLONDIE scheduled for June 25 at Mohegan Sun Arena has now been cancelled.

World came from Mohegan Sun last Friday morning that the June 25 concert, originally postponed due to a broken left clavicle suffered by New Cars guitarist Elliot Easton, has been called off fully “due to the limited artist and venue liability.”

Anyone holding tickets for this show can receive a full refund. If you purchased tickets with a credit card, they should be automatically credited to your account. It never hurts to contact the point of purchase to make sure.

*A reminder that Drew English, who graduated from Newtown High School in 1999, will be performing with current band Tides tonight at The Brickyard Café in Hartford. Start time for Tides will be about 9:30, followed by headliners Tenet, and the show is for ages 21 and over. The Brickyard is at 113-115 Allyn Street; call 860-249-2112 for additional information.

*Speaking of NHS grads going strong: A press release arrived last week with the headline From Newtown To Newport. It caught my eye.

Reading further, it was an update on the always musically mobile SPENCER SWAIN and the band he continues to perform with, ZOX. Seems the band the former Sandy Hook resident has been playing with for a few years now will be featured at the 9th Annual Snapple Sunset Music Festival in Newport, R.I.

Entertainment began on June 22 and continues nightly until July 3; Zox will be sharing the headlining duties, along with VIRGINIA COALITION and ALEXI MURDOCH on Wednesday, June 28.

This really is one of those festivals that has a little bit of everything. Promoters love to say that, but rarely live up to it. The line-up for this nine-night event opens on June 22 with BRUCE HORNSBY and continues with THE FOUR TOPS on June 23, TRAIN and ANNA NALICK on June 24, and AMERICA on the 25th.

After a two-night break, the music resumes on Wednesday with Zox, et al, takes a one-night break and then continues with JASON MRAZ on Friday, June 30; JUDY COLLINS on July 1; PETER FRAMPTON on July 2; and closed with American Idol winner BO BICE on Monday, July 3.

*Woodbury Ski Area’s 34th Annual Reggae Festival will return to lower Litchfield County the weekend of August 12-13. The event will run from noon to 8 pm each day. There will be a skateboard contest on Saturday at 3.

Bands already planning to perform are RAS KIMONO & THE MASSIVE DREAD BAND, DYNAMIC STEW, and PETE SCHEIPS BAND. More band will be announced closer to the festival’s dates.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $30 at the gate. The ski area, at 785 Washington Road (Route 47) in Woodbury, can be reached by calling 203-263-2203 or visiting WoodburySkiArea.com.

*Fresh off a new album and still rarin’ for a fight, DIXIE CHICKS will make a stop on their Accidents and Accusations Tour at Mohegan Sun Arena on Wednesday, July 26. Showtime will be 7 pm, and tickets for that evening will be going on sale Saturday morning through TicketMaster vendors. Remaining tickets will also be available for purchase beginning Sunday at Mohegan Sun’s box office. Tickets have been priced at $55 and $75 for this show.

*The Department of Consumer Protection issued an announcement this week that Aramark Entertainment, Inc and the State Liquor Control Commission have entered into a negotiated settlement to resolve administrative charges alleging sales of alcohol to minors at a performance at the Dodge Music Center (formerly — and at the time of said allegations — The Meadows Music Theater) on August 15, 2004. That would make it during the JOHN MAYER concert.

According to the statement, issued by DCP Commissioner Edwin R. Rodriguez on June 19, the Music Center’s liquor permit would be suspended on Tuesday, June 20 (this week, of course, during the NINE INCH NAILS and BAUHAUS concert, which I’m sure wasn’t a pretty sign); Saturday, July 15 (for the KELLY CLARKSON with ROONEY show); and a third date yet to be selected but which will happen during this concert season.

In addition to the three-date suspension, Aramark has paid a civil penalty fine of $83,000. This explains in part the increase of ticket sales, I’d say.

While DCP admits that those who were served on that August evening were wearing “theater-issued wristbands identifying them as being of legal drinking age,” the blame for the serving of alcohol to underage attendees stills falls on The Meadows. The press release from DCP continued: “a review of the wristband process determined the theater staff [was] not being diligent in examining the identifications being presented by these underage persons.”

*Speaker of JOHN MAYER, guess who’s coming back?

Tickets go on sale Saturday morning for JOHN MAYER & SHERYL CROW, who will be at Dodge Music Center on Saturday, August 26, priced at $25 for the lawn and $55 and $75 for the reserved seats.

Information and sales will be available online at LiveNation.com, the box office at The Chevrolet Theatre in Wallingford, and at all TicketMaster vendors.

*Those of you looking for a live LED ZEPPELIN fix can get something of a shot when HAMMER OF THE GODS performs at The Shubert Theater. Hey – what’d you expect??! Do you think this column would honestly be the place where you would first hear about a Led Zep reunion??!

This show, meanwhile, “takes fans on a classic concert journey,” promises promo materials (although The New York Times, a pretty good reference, had reportedly labeled the show “the hottest ticket around”). Find out for yourself on Friday, July 7, at 8 pm. Tickets are $23, $33, $43 and $53, and available from the New Haven theater’s box office at 800-228-6622 or Shubert.com.

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

JUNE 23 — Tenet at The Brickyard Café, Hartford, with Tides opening (featuring Newtown native Drew English); Joe Soup, Jaryd Torff and Friends, Tom Crowley and King For A Day at The Acoustic Café, Bridgeport (Black Rock);

June 24 — Keith Emerson at Toad’s Place, New Haven;

June 25 — (sold out) Madonna at Hartford Civic Center;

June 26 — Madonna at Hartford Civic Center; Shawn Mullins at Mohegan Sun’s Cabaret Theatre (acoustic show, also June 27);

June 27 — Shawn Mullins at Mohegan Sun’s Cabaret Theatre, Uncasville (acoustic show, also June 26); Echo & The Bunnymen at Toad’s Place, Boy Kill Boy opening;

June 28 — Def Leppard and Journey at Mohegan Sun Arena; Hot Tuna at The Ridgefield Playhouse; Hawthorne Heights at Toad’s Place, Anberlin, Halifax, et al opening (all ages);

June 29 — Jimmy Buffett at Mohegan Sun Arena; Buckcherry at The Webster Theater;

June 30 — Robin Trower at The Ridgefield Playhouse; King For A Day at The Acoustic Café.

 

JULY 1 — They Might Be Giants at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Den, Ledyard; Poco at The Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, with special guest Pin Monkey;

July 2 — Tom Jones at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville;

July 3 — Phil Lesh & Friends Trey Anastasio & Mike Gordon at Dodge Music Center, Hartford;

July 5 — Sammy Hagar & The Wabos (& Michael Anthony) at Mohegan Sun Arena.