*A punk rock festival at Laszlo’s Arts Café on Monday night will offer performances by five local bands. The music begins at 8 pm and the café is on Main Street/Route 25 in Monroe. Call 459-8889 for band details.

*SOL DOG has two shows this weekend, both at terrific venues for this band. Rev, Mark, Curt and Ron will return to Classic Rock Brew Pub in Danbury on Friday, August 4. Saturday night the guys will be at TK’s American Café, which has a great outdoor stage right in the center of the arts and entertainment district of New Haven (the show moves indoors, of course, if it’s raining).

*The classic rock band FOG will be returning to 100 Church Hill in beautiful downtown Sandy Hook this Saturday night, August 5 to play covers of many of your favorite classic rock songs from the 60s-70s. FOG ‘s lineup includes locals George Greytak on drums, Dean Snellback on bass and Jason Benson on guitar and keyboard, and Fairfield’s John White on guitar. The band will start around 9:30pm.

*Anyone heading up to the MOTLEY CRUE show at The Meadows tomorrow night (Aug 5), please note there has been a change in the tour’s line-up. Because Motley Crue wants to be playing longer sets on this tour, ANTHRAX is no longer on the triple bill but MEGADETH will still have an opening set.

*Local singer-songwriter LUCINDA is in the news again this week. The Bethel resident and Newtown native has earned herself a spot in the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and National Academy of Popular Music’s Professional Songwriters Showcase. The showcase is on September 19 in Manhattan.

If you can’t make it in to the big city, Lucinda also has a pair of shows much closer to home this month. On Friday, August 18, she returns to Bank Street Coffee House in New Milford, where she will be doing another solo acoustic show featuring songs from her already released debut album along with material from the soon-to-be released follow-up. Then on Saturday, August 26, Lucinda will be in Newtown for an outdoor performance at Lexington Gardens. The show will run from noon to 3 pm and is scheduled for outdoors, so pray for good weather. It moves indoors if there is rain.

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. Include a phone number for confirmation, please. If you don’t have a stamp or a piece of paper or a writing utensil that works, give me a call! The phone number at the office is 426-3141. Shows listed on the calendar at club locations are for ages 21 and over unless specified.

UPCOMING CONCERTS

AUGUST 4 — Sol Dog at Classic Rock Brew Pub, Danbury; Tragically Hip at The Webster Theatre, Hartford (all ages); Seed Cycle and Zero Chance at Laszlo’s Arts Café, Monroe; Darik & The Funbags at Toad’s Place, New Haven, Ink, Hype and Public Disturbance opening;

August 5 — Motley Crue at The Meadows Music Theatre, Hartford, Megadeth opening; Sol Dog at aTK’s American Café, New Haven; Sic Boy and Adva at Laszlo’s Arts Café;

August 6 — Duran Duran at the Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford;

August 7 — Dave Davies’ Kinks Kronikles at Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville; punk rock festival at Laszlo’s Arts Café (five bands featured, call for details, 459-8889);

August 8 — Iron Maiden at The Meadows Music Theater, Queensryche opening; Buju Banton at Toad’s Place (all ages);

August 9 — Santana at The Meadows Music Theatre, Macy Gray opening;

August 10 — Pat Benatar at Foxwoods Casino, Ledyard; Playback at Colorado Brewery, Danbury; Kid Rock at The Meadows Music Theatre; King Diamond at City Limits, Waterbury;

August 11 — Fishbone at Toad’s Place (all ages), Slackjar and 6 Under Par opening; Beastie Boys and Rage Against The Machine at The Meadows Music Theatre; Sweet Lucy at Laszlo’s Arts Café; Off The Hook at Mimi’s, Danbury;

August 12 — Dave Mason Band at Summertime Festival of the Arts at CityCenter, Danbury (free outdoor concert, begins 7:30 pm; call 792-1711 after 3 pm if rain); Eric Johnson & Alien Love Child at The Webster Theatre, Hartford; Siment, Saffron and Amnesty Underground at Laszlo’s Arts Café;

August 12-13 — Chicago at Foxwoods Casino, Ledyard;

August 13 — Dixie Dregs & Steve Morse Band at Toad’s Place;

August 14 — Dreamfire at Laszlo’s Arts Café;

August 17 — Splice at Laszlo’s Arts Café (open mic follows band’s performance);

August 18 — Sol Dog at Jimmie’s Seaside Café, Stamford; Lucinda at Bank Street Coffee House, New Milford; Eidipus at Laszlo’s Arts Café; Shakedown at Toad’s Place (all ages).

August 19 — Seth Adam and The Unknown at Laszlo’s Arts Café;

August 22 — Little Feat at Toad’s Place, Todd Snider opening; Don Henley at Mohegan Sun Casino’s Uncas Pavilion, Uncasville;

August 23 — Live and Counting Crows at The Meadows;

August 23-24 — Eddie Money at Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville;

August 25 — Sol Dog at The Avenue Café, Black Rock; Physical Graffiti at Toad’s Place (all ages), The Limit opening; Dave Matthews Band at The Meadows, David Gray opening;

August 26 — Point of View, Dropjaw, Junkie Hunx and Flat Line Crew at Laszlo’s Arts Café;

August 27 — D’Angelo at the Oakdale Theatre, Lucy Pearl opening; Dave Matthews Band at The Meadows, David Gray opening;

August 29 — The Saw Doctors at Toad’s Place; Dream Theatre at the Oakdale.