*Singer-songwriter (and Newtown resident) JIM ALLEN returns to Next Stop Café in Bethel this weekend. Mr Allen will be joined by DAN BONIS and PAM BERTOLI at the Greenwood Avenue locale on Saturday.

The music begins at 7:30 with Mr Bonis’ sonic lap-style slide guitar originals. Pam Bertoli, an accomplished fingerstyle and blues guitarist (and a DJ on WFUV Fordham radio), follows at 8:30. Jim Allen’s set will begin around 9:30 with originals and instrumentals on mandolin, guitar and piano.

The cover charge is $7 and reservations are recommended; call 730-9940. Next Stop Café is at 102 Greenwood Avenue, near P.T. Barnum Square, and the place offers an excellent food menu in addition to the regular audio offerings.

*Danbury-based vocalist, guitarist and composer KIM LEAMAN has landed a great gig for herself next weekend. She will be opening for acoustic guitarist BRIAN GALLAWAY when he plays Towne Crier Café in Pawling, N.Y. Tickets for that show are $15 and reservations are suggested by the club, which has extremely limited seating.

Leaman is reportedly the most requested local artist in rotation right now on WCSU radio station WXCI. According to her website, Leaman has since the summer of 1998 “sparked interest in music fans of many generations throughout the country.” She lists among her top influences Jeff Buckley, Radiohead, The Smiths and Chris Cornell.

The restaurant-music venue is on Route 22, just off I-84 – take the exit for Pawling and stay on Route 22 right into town. The Crier will be on your right. Showtime is 8 pm.

*Tickets are going on sale this weekend for MARY J. BLIGE at ctnow.com Meadows Music Centre. Ms Mary will be headlining in Hartford on Saturday, August 10. Showtime is 8 pm, with Tweet opening.

There is no lawn seating for this show. Tickets are $35, $45 and $65 for the pavilion, and will be available beginning 10 am Saturday morning from the Meadows box office, www.ctnow.com or www.tickets.com (the former will offer a link to the latter), any Strawberries Music store or from 203-265-1501 or 800-477-6849.

Also on sale this weekend are tickets for AEROSMITH’s return to Connecticut on Thursday, September 5, with KID ROCK and RUN-DMC in tow. Tickets for this one are $65 and $85 for the pavilion, $36.50 for the lawn, and can be purchased through the outlets described in the previous paragraph.

*LYLE LOVETT AND HIS LARGE BAND and BONNIE RAITT will co-headline a show on August 6 at Mohegan Sun Arena. Tickets are going on sale Saturday morning, priced at $50 and $30.

*JA RULE returns to Hartford Civic Center on July 14, with ASHANTI openings. Tickets are priced at $42.50 and $36.50 and are on sale.

*DEEP BANANA BLACKOUT, which headlines at Toad’s Place tonight, is one of the confirmed acts for the 30th Anniversary Groove Reggae Fest at Woodbury Ski Area next month. The weekend-long event is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, July 13-14, at the ski area, on Route 47 in Woodbury. Saturday’s line-up will offer performances by PREZIDENT BROWN, RAISIN HILL and 28 & WAITING, while DEEP BANANA BLACKOUT, THE PETE SCHIEPS BAND, UNCLE SAMMY and ELECTRIC HILL will have stage time on Sunday. Shows are expected to run from 11 am to about 7:30 each day.

Ticket prices break down as follows: $40 for a 2-day Festival Pass, which must be purchased in advance; $20 for Saturday’s show in advance, or $25 at the gate; and $25 for Sunday’s show in advance, or $30 at the gate. For reservations or additional information visit www.WoodburySkiArea.com or call 203-263-2203.

Until next week, I’ll be seeing you… on the road.

Questions and comments should be sent to Shannon Hicks, c/o Bee Publishing Co., 5 Church Hill Road, Newtown 06470, or shannon@thebee.com, or call The Bee office at 426-3141.

Shows listed on the calendar at club locations are for ages 21 and over unless specified.

 

UPCOMING CONCERTS

JUNE 28 — Rush at The Meadows Music Centre, Hartford; EPA at Classic Rock Brew Pub, Danbury; Deep Banana Blackout at Toad’s Place, New Haven (all ages); The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; Must at The Webster Theatre, Hartford, Release, Base 2, T-bags, King Whack and Q opening; Phil Roy at Towne Crier Café, Pawling, N.Y., Too Human opening;

June 29 — Jim Allen and Dan Bonis at Next Stop Café, Bethel, with special guest Pam Bertoli; The Marshall Tucker Band at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville; Joe Rockstar at Tuxedo Junction; Fallout at Classic Rock Brew Pub; Johnny Winter at The Webster Theatre, Bounty Hunter and Johnny Law opening;

June 30 —Tribute to Jimmy Edelmann at Tuxedo Junction featuring Future Tense, Old Fat Bastards, The Tipperary Knights, J&B 2000, Cinema, Sapphire, and others; Teddy Thompson at Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield; The Kickovers at The Webster Theatre, with Grand Prixx, fuzzbuni and falter opening.

JULY 4 — Kansas at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville (free show);

July 5 —Poison at ctnow.com Meadows Music Theatre, Hartford, with Cinderella, Winger and Faster Pussycat; The Get-Up Kids, Superchunk and Hot Rod Circuit at The Webster Theatre, Hartford; Popa Chubby at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café, Hartford; Riders on The Storm at Toad’s Place, New Haven (all ages), The Limit opening; Bill Perry Blues Band at Towne Crier Café, Pawling, N.Y.;

July 5-6 — Peter Frampton at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville;

July 6 — INXS at Foxwoods Casino Fox Theatre; REO Speedwagon at Ives Concert Park, Danbury;

July 7 — Sol Dog at Classic Rock Brew Pub, Danbury (Fireworks Night!); REO Speedwagon and Kansas at Oakdale Theatre; Brian Gallaway at Towne Crier, Kim Leaman opening;

July 8 — Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, The Brian Setzer Trio opening;

July 11 — Heart at Foxwoods Casino;

July 12 — Peter Obre and Alan Johnson at Proud Mary’s, Newtown; Lynyrd Skynyrd with Dickey Betts at Oakdale Theatre; The Machine at Toad’s Place (all ages), Fountain Project opening;

July 13 — Alicia Keys at Mohegan Sun Arena; OzzFest at The Meadows, featuring Ozzy Osbourne, System Of A Down, P.O.D., Drowning Pool, Adema, Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society, Rob Zombie, et al; Peter Obre and Alan Johnson at 707 On Main, Monroe; Willy Porter at Beardsley Zoo, Bridgeport, Jeff Lang opening (ZooFolk Series concert); Reid (of Strangefolk) at The Webster Theatre, Blind Ambition, Stepanion and feeds opening; Bill Morrissey at Towne Crier Café; Prezident Brown, Raisin Hill and 28 & Waiting at Woodbury Ski Area (first day of Reggae Fest);

July 14 — Concrete Blonde at The Webster Theatre, echo janes opening; The Derek Trucks Band at Towne Crier Café; Deep Banana Blackout, The Pete Schieps Band, Uncle Sammy and Electric Hill at Woodbury Ski Area (final day Reggae Fest);

July 16 — Chicago at Foxwoods Casino;

July 17 — John Mellencamp at Mohegan Sun Arena; Rock Fest 2002 at Connecticut Expo Center, Hartford, with Dokken, Ratt, Warrant and L.A. Guns (no tickets yet);

July 18 — Phil Lesh & Friends at The Meadows; Fredie McGregor at Toad’s Place;

July 19 — Anger Management 2002 at The Meadows featuring Eminem, Pap Roach, Ludacris, Xzibit, X-Ecutioners, et al; Leon Redbone at Towne Crier Café;

July 20 — Weezer at Meadows Music Centre, Dashboard Confessional and Sparta opening (no tickets yet);

July 21 — Lake Trout at Toad’s Place (all ages);

July 24 — Creed at The Meadows;

July 25 — The Tom Tom Club at Toad’s Place (all ages), The Andy Buzzi Trio opening;

July 25-26 — SOLD OUT: Dave Matthews Band at The Meadows.

July 26 — Peter Obre and Alan Johnson at Proud Mary’s; India.Arie at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theatre; Deep Banana Blackout at The Webster Theatre;

July 27 — Peter Obre and Alan Johnson at 707 On Main; Average White Band at The Webster Theatre; Brian Howe at CityCenter Green (former Bad Company lead singer; showtime 7:30, at Danbury High School if rain);

July 29 — Judas Priest at The Webster Theatre;

July 31 — Journey at Mohegan Sun Arena.