*The 17th Annual GATHERING OF THE VIBES will be at Seaside Park in Bridgeport Thursday through Sunday, July 19-22, and while online ticket sales have closed, there are still plenty of tickets available for any portion of the festival.

Friday’s musical highlights will include sets by BOB WEIR & BRUCE HORNSBY with BRANFORD MARSALIS (6:45-8:15 pm) followed by PHIL LESH & FRIENDS (9 pm). Music begins at 11 am and will run continuously until the closing of the Phil Lesh set at 1 am, with 16 performers spread across three stages. A pair of shows, by CONSPIRATOR and GIGANTIC UNDERGROUND CONSPIRACY, will take place after midnight, and will be open only to those who are camping at the park.

Saturday will also open at 11, with sets by RYAN MONTBLEAU BAND and ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA opening the Main Stage, followed by DEEP BANANA BLACKOUT, MICKEY HART BAND, a reunion of STRANGEFOLK, PRIMUS and STS9 keeping the main stage rocking until well past midnight. Another ten bands are lined up for the GV Stage and School of Rock stage, and another pair of sets — by THE MACHINE and PAPADOSIO — will carry the overnight crowd.

A World Peace Ceremony will open the Main Stage on Sunday, with KELLER WILLIAMS bringing the first music on Sunday. MAX CREEK, STEEL PULSE and THE AVETT BROTHERS will also be playing Sunday.

Single day tickets are $65 for Friday and Saturday, and $40 for Sunday ($205 and $175, respectively, for VIP single day tickets), and a kid’s single VIP ticket is $50. Children ages 12 and under are admitted into the festival for free on Friday and Saturday; ages 13 and up need a regular single day ticket attend regular offerings. On Sunday, the age level increases to 15 and under who will be admitted for free.

From this point on, tickets are only available at the gate, cash only. If you have not already made reservations for camping in the family area, a limited number of Family Camping Passes will be at the gates on a first-come, first-served basis.

Parents are encouraged to register their children in the Kids Tent between 9 am and 8 pm each day. Children will be given a bracelet to wear during the festival containing their parents’ contact information just in case families get separated.

In addition to all of the music, Gathering of the Vibes — which organizers and promoters call “one of the most family-friendly, music and arts festivals on the East Coast” —  offers plenty to see and do within the 370-acre waterfront park. For full details visit GatheringOfTheVibes.com.

*Meanwhile, the next Live at ETH concert — performances being organized by Newtown resident Hayden Bates that raise funds for renovations to Edmond Town Hall on Main Street — will be here before we know it.

Newtown native MorganEve Swain will be returning the ETH stage with music (and life) partner David Lamb, performing as the duo BROWN BIRD, on Friday, August 3. The duo was part of Low Anthem’s show last year for the same fundraising series. Now it’s their turn to headline, and The Proud Flesh — a New Haven-based folk rock trio comprised of multi-intrumentalist friends Alexander Burnet, Patrick Dalton and Chris Dickerson — will have opening honors.

Tickets are $25 and available now through EdmondTownHall.org, and fellow Newtown Bee Nancy Crevier has a nice story about this duo this week. Check her story out here: There’s No Place Like Home, For Brown Bird Fiddler https://newtownbee.com/2012-07-19__12-17-27

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

JULY 20 — Boston at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Mashantucket; The Adults at Proud Mary’s, Newtown; 17th Annual Gathering of the Vibes at Seaside Park, Bridgeport (continues to July 22);

July 21 — Scratch at The One-Eyed Pig, Newtown; Emily Colt at Proud Mary’s, Newtown; Joe Proc at The Lakehouse, Seymour; Hoobastank at The Webster, Hartford; Candlebox at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville; An Evening with The Malone Brothers at Infinity Music Hall, Norfolk; The Regulators at Fast Eddie’s Billiards Café, New Milford; 17th Annual Gathering of the Vibes at Seaside Park, Bridgeport (continues to July 22);

July 22 — John Ford Coley at Infinity Music Hall; Chris Botti at The Ridgefield Playhouse; 17th Annual Gathering of the Vibes at Seaside Park, Bridgeport;

July 25 — Joshua Radin at The Ridgefield Playhouse, with special guest Tristan Prettyman and Scars on 45;

July 26 — Enrique Iglesias & Jennifer Lopez at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville; The Impromptu Trio at Dickinson Park, Newtown; Off The Hook at My Place Restaurant, Newtown; Steve Azar at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Marc Cohn at Infinity Music Hall; Ingrid Michaelson at Toad’s Place, New Haven, Greg Laswell opening;

July 27 — An Evening with Rickie Lee Jones at The Ridgefield Playhouse; Midnight Rodeo Band at John J. Sullivan’s, Ansonia; David Cassidy at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Brubeck Brothers Quartet at Infinity Music Hall; Citizen Jane at McGuire’s Ale House; DJ Bongo Joe at Oyster River Grille;

July 28 — The Allman Brothers Band and Santana at The Comcast Theatre; Otis & The Hurricanes at The One-Eyed Pig; The Doug Wahlberg Band at Levitt Pavilion for the Performing Arts, Westport; Tired On Sunday at Proud Mary’s; Dennis DeYong: The Music of Styx at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Pure Prairie League at Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne; The Oak Ridge Boys at Infinity Music Hall (two shows, 2 and 8 pm);

July 29 — Everclear, Sugar Ray, Gin Blossoms, Lit and Marcy Playground at Mohegan Sun Arena; Tom Rush at Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne.

AUGUST 1 — Wilco at The Bushnell, Hartford;

August 2 — The T.J. Tomlin Dixieland All-Stars at Dickinson Park, Newtown; O.A.R. at the Comcast Theatre (Festival Stage), Hartford; The Outlaws at Infinity Music Hall, Norfolk;

August 3 — Brown Bird at Edmond Town Hall Theatre, Newtown, The Proud Flesh opening (Live @ETH series, partial proceeds to benefit restoration efforts of historic building); Billy Michael at Proud Mary’s, Newtown; The Steve Miller Band at The MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods, Mashantucket, with special guest George Thorogood;

August 4 — Joe Cocker and Huey Lewis & The News at The MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods; CTA at Infinity Music Hall; Alternate Universe at Proud Mary’s;

August 5 — The 5th Annual Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival at The Comcast Theatre, Hartford, featuring Slipknot, Slayer, Anthrax, et al;

August 6 — 311 and Slightly Stoopid at the Comcast Theatre;

August 7 — The B-52s at The Klein, Bridgeport;

August 9 — Erica Howard & Midnight Rodeo Band at Dickinson Park; Tom Rush at Infinity Music Hall;

August 10 — Cowboy Junkies at Infinity Music Hall; Emily Colt at Proud Mary’s; Galactic at The Ridgefield Playhouse with special guest Corey Glover;

August 11 — Marc Anthony, Marco Antonio Solis and Chayanne at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville; Umphrey’s McGee at The Klein; The Alternate Routes at Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne, Fairfield; Those Guys at Proud Mary’s;

August 12 — Linkin Park at Mohegan Sun Arena, MuteMath opening; Lyle Lovett at The Warner Theatre, Torrington; Big Brother & The Holding Company at Infinity Music Hall;

August 14 — k.d. lang & The Siss Boom Bang at The Ridgefield Playhouse, with special guest Lera Lynn; Midnight Rodeo Band at Trumbull Town Hall gazebo (Trumbull Library if rain); Daughtry at Ives Concert Park, Danbury; Galactic featuring Cory Glover at Infinity Music Hall (also August 15);

August 15 — Little Feat at The Ridgefield Playhouse, with special guest Amy Lennard; Metal Hammer Trespass America Tour at The Festival Stage at the Comcast Theatre, Hartford, with Five Finger Death Punch, Killswitch Engage, Trivium, Pop Evil, Emmure and God Forbid (early show, 5 pm start); Galactic featuring Cory Glover at Infinity Music Hall (also August 14);

August 16 — Redstone Ridge at Dickinson Park; Kristin Hersh at Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne; Albert Lee with Kate Taylor at Infinity Music Hall;

August 17 — Eric Church at Mohegan Sun Arena, Robert Earl Keen opening; Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Oakdale Theatre (doors open at 3 for afternoon cook-out with WPLR’s Chaz & AJ, showtime is 8 pm); Robben Ford at Infinity Music Hall; Old School at Proud Mary’s;

August 18 — Jane’s Addiction at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods; Alternate Universe at Proud Mary’s;

August 19 — Train at Mohegan Sun Arena, with special guests Mat Kearney and Andy Grammer; radio 104 RockFest featuring Sublime, Pepper and Less Than Jake at Comcast Theatre Festival Stage, Hartford; Anders Osborne at Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne; Gin Blossoms at Infinity Music Hall;

August 22 — Midnight Rodeo Band at Huntington Green, Huntington;

August 23 — The Manny Pavone Group at Dickinson Park; Soul Asylum at Infinity Music Hall;

August 24 — Martina McBride at the Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford; Duran Duran at The MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods; The Wanted at Mohegan Sun Arena, with special guest Carly Rae Jepsen; Blues Traveler at The Klein; Leon Redbone at Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne; Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels at Infinity Music Hall; Tired On Sunday at Proud Mary’s;

August 25 — Jason Mraz at the Comcast Theatre, with special guest Christina Perri; Stone Temple Pilots at The MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods, Mashantucket; Cal David at Infinity Music Hall; Emily Colt at Proud Mary’s; The 2012 Not The End Of The World Tour at The Webster, Hartford, featuring Life On The Sideline, Raven Down, Meet Emily, Gabriel Bg, White Rose Confession, Revolution Arcade, et al (to benefit VH1’s Save The Music Foundation);

August 26 — Chicago and The Doobie Brothers at The Comcast Theatre (indoor/pavilion show only, no lawn area); Leon Redbone at Infinity Music Hall;

August 30 — My Dad’s Truck at Dickinson Park; Evanescence at Mohegan Sun Arena, with Chevelle, Cavo and New Medicine opening;

August 31 — Zac Brown Band at Mohegan Sun Arena (also September 1); Dethklok and Lamb of God at The Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford, with Gojira opening; Barefoot Truth at Infinity Music Hall; Billy Michael at Proud Mary’s.