*The big event this weekend in Newtown, of course, is the Tercentennial Birthday Party.

 Live music will open the weekend on Friday night and will then keep the party going on Saturday afternoon starting again around 1. The Tercentennial Committee has arranged for a number of bands, of various genres, to play at Fairfield Hills this weekend. All performances are free.

 THE BEARCATS, a traditional jazz band, will be at Fairfield Hills on Friday, August 5, at 7 pm.

 Saturday’s musical highlights include the female a cappella group HARMONY ON THE SOUND, the doo-wop group IN HARMONY (formerly Harmony Street, “New England’s premier doo-wop vocal group), THE BAD BOYS BLUES BAND, local band EYE CONTACT, and classic rock band GUTTER BOOGIE.

  Full details are available within the Enjoy section this week, as well as within the program published as a special pull-out section in The Bee this week.

  *There are two shows in our area by RICHIE HAVENS this weekend.

  The first is Friday evening in Bridgeport, when Havens will headline a concert sponsored by The International Performing Arts Center in Bridgeport. Havens is due to play around 8:30, but the music and entertainment will start long before that.

  John Voket will be among the first to open the stage, in fact. He should be on right around 5:30 at McLevy Green, a/k/a Playhouse Green, in downtown Bridgeport (between Bank and State Streets).

  In addition to live music – and all of it free of charge – there will be family programming including puppets and storytelling.

 IPA is additionally hosting its monthly Art Walk on Friday. Beginning at 5 pm the first Friday of each month, fine artists and musicians display and perform their work in the heart of the city’s historic Black Rock area, along Fairfield Avenue.

  On Sunday night, Richie Havens will be at Towne Crier Café in Pawling, N.Y. Tickets for that show are $40, and Hilary Cousins will have the opening set at 8 pm.

 Contact the café by calling 845-855-1700.

  *If you missed the TORI AMOS show back in April, or you can’t get enough of her and are one of the reasons she continues to visit the state on such a regular basis, good news: Amos will be at The Chevrolet Theatre (formerly the Oakdale) in Wallingford on August 16.

  Tickets are $40 and they went on sale on July 29; call 203-265-1501.

  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

AUGUST 5 — Richie Havens at McLevy Green, Bridgeport, John Voket, et al, opening; Kelly Clarkson at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville; Whitesnake at The Webster Theatre, Hartford; opening night of Black Sun Music Festival at Toad’s Place, New Haven, featuring Das Ich, Razed in Black, Iris, Decoded, et al (continues August 6); The McKrells at Towne Crier Café, Pawling, N.Y.;

August 6 — The Beach Boys with Hartford Symphony Orchestra at Simsbury Performing Arts Center; Nelson at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville; Lucky Boys, Confusion, The Working Title, Melee and Dropping Daylight at The Webster Theatre; Black Sun Music Festival continues at Toad’s Place, featuring Dismantled, DJ’s Lee, Addambondd, et al;

August 7 — Craig Grass at The Webster Underground; Richie Havens at Towne Crier Café;

August 8 — Crosby, Stills & Nash at Mohegan Sun Arena;

August 9 — Jefferson Starship/Jefferson Airplane at The Ridgefield Playhouse; The Backstreet Boys at The Chevrolet Theatre (formerly the Oakdale);

August 11 — Jen Durkin & The Bomb Squad at Toad’s Place, Feel Theory, Fuzebox and Medicine Hat featuring Rick D from Electric Mayhem opening (all ages);

August 12 — Arturo Sandoval at Ives Concert Park, Danbury, Yerba Buena opening; LeAnn Rimes at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theatre; Johnny Winter Band at Toad’s Place, James Montgomery opening; Richard Shindell at Towne Crier Café.