*BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN AND THE E STREET BAND will be in East Hartford on September 16 for what I believe will be the first-ever show at Rentschler Field. What a way to open a stadium! Honestly, it doesn’t get much bigger in the music world than Bruce.

Tickets go on sale this Saturday (August 9) at 10 am. All tickets are $80, which includes a state surcharge and parking fee, through all TicketMaster locations and options (including online and phone – 860-525-4500, 203-624-0033 or 744-4100. Tickets may also be charged online at www.RentschlerField.com.

The Rentschler Field and Hartford Civic Center box offices will not be open for the first day of sales on Saturday, but the civic center box office will open for Springsteen sales on Monday, August 11, from noon to 5 pm – if any tickets remain at that point.

*Local band CHARISMA returns tonight (August 8) to JC Hooks Bar & Grill in Waterbury (550 Chase Avenue; telephone 203-755-3632). Showtime is 9:30.

*THE DEREK TRUCKS BAND will be at Ridgefield’s Playhouse for Movies and Performing Arts on Thursday, November 20. Trucks will be bringing his band, which the playhouse publicity machine calls “a work in progress, blending jazz, blues, rock, latin, Eastern Indian and other world music in a now-defining sound,” into Ridgefield for a show that will also have as a co-headliner the pianist PINETOP PERKINS. The 90-something legend has, again according to a press release issued by the playhouse, “[a] thundering blues style … rooted in the Mississippi Delta of the 1930s as well as modern-day Chicago … Perkins is still the yardstick by which all blues pianists are measured.”

I’m in! Tickets for this show are $35 apiece.

Prior to that show, VONDA SHEPARD will be at the playhouse for a season-opening gala on Friday, September 19. Ms Shepard – who rose to fame by playing the part of the house performer of a local club on Ally McBeal – will be playing a season-opening, fundraising gala for the playhouse, so you know prices are steep. Tickets are $175 for those who would like to enjoy a pre-show cocktail reception and the show; or $225 for the pre-show cocktail time, the performance, and a post-performance Meet & Greet with Ms Shepard.

For details or reservations on either or these shows (or the full schedule over at the playhouse) call 203-438-5795 or visit www.RidgefieldPlayhouse.org.

*THE BRUBECK BROTHERS – composer, lyricist, orchestral arranger and multi instrumentalist Chris and drummer and producer Daniel – will be playing a free concert in Southbury next week. It’s the next installment in the annual Gate House Café Concert Series, which is presented on the grounds of Southbury Training School, Route 172 in the South Britain section of town.

Showtime is 6:30 pm on Wednesday, August 12, and the show will go on rain or shine; there is a small pavilion nearby if the rain is still ongoing by this time next week. For information on this concert or any of the remaining in this year’s series call 586-2144, which will put you in touch with Julie Andring Morgan and Meg Capen in the STS music therapy department.

*Danbury-based Terrapin Presents announced some very disappointed news late last week: the cancellation of Bridgeport Blues Festival and Summit on The Sound. Low ticket sales was given as the reason for the cancellation.

The former was a Labor Day weekend event at Seaside Park that was to have included the likes of B.B. KING, JEFF BECK, ROBERT CRAY, CHUCK BERRY, JAMES BROWN and JAMES COTTON, among others. The latter was also to be at Seaside Park the weekend of September 13-14, with PHIL LESH AND FRIENDS headlining.

“The decision to not move forward with these two festivals has been excessively difficult.  Terrapin is firmly committed to the City of Bridgeport and to doing everything possible to lend assistance in continuing to bring the arts back to the Park City,” an August 1 press release said in part. “After two successful years in Bridgeport with Gathering of the Vibes in 1999 and 2000, the prospect of returning home to Fairfield County for Bridgeport Blues and Summit on the Sound was highly anticipated.

“But with the limited number of advance ticket sales, it is impossible to justify moving forward with either show.  Despite the cancellations, Terrapin is still solidly devoted to working with the City of Bridgeport on future events.”

For all credit card ticket orders for the Bridgeport Blues Festival and Summit on the Sound placed through Terrapin Presents, the purchaser may arrange a refund by notifying their credit card company and contesting the charge due to the cancellation of the event. Those who purchased tickets at outlets should return to the point of purchase for a full refund. Those who ordered Summit on the Sound tickets through GDTS Too will have their money orders returned to them immediately.

Additional refund information is available at www.TerrapinPresents.net.

*Tuxedo Junction’s next big show will be THE WAILERS, Bob Marley’s original band, who will be in Danbury on Wednesday, August 13 for an all ages show. Tickets are available at Strawberries Music & Video (the Danbury store’s phone number is 778-9222 if you want to check before heading over), and I’m told they’re also going to be available through TicketMaster… but I’m still not having any luck finding them at either vendor as of yet.

PARTICLE is scheduled to play at Tuxedo Junction the following week, on August 20, but I can’t find details on that show yet, either.

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 CONCERTS

AUGUST 8 — Off The Hook at 707 On Main, Monroe; SideShow at Captain’s Cove, Bridgeport; Eddie Money at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville; Roomful of Blues at The B.B. King Nite Club at Foxwoods, Ledyard (band also playing Aug 9, same location); Charisma at J.C. Hooks Bar & Grill, Waterbury; Cringe Fest 2003 at Toad’s Place, New Haven, featuring Deadwait, Broken Malachai, Slumlord, Dead Mine Dead and Curse The Son (all ages); Raisin Hill at The Acoustic Café, Bridgeport; Kal David at Black-Eyed Sally’s, Hartford;

August 9 — OzzFest 2003 at Meadows Music Centre, Hartford, featuring Ozzy Osbourne, Marilyn Manson, Korn, Disturbed, Chevelle, et al; Ginuwine at The Fox Theatre/Foxwoods Casino, Ledyard, Zane opening; Roomful of Blues at The B.B. King Nite Club at Foxwoods; Joe Jackson at The Webster Theatre, Hartford; Off The Hook at Redding Roadhouse, Redding; Sister Hazel at Toad’s Place, Virginia Coalition and Gavin DeGraw opening (all ages); The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; The Stephan Gaspar Band (early show) at The Acoustic Café, then Talking To Walls, This Blue Holiday and The Reservoir; Kal David at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

August 10 — Jethro Tull at Mohegan Sun Arena; Sol Dog at The Corner Pocket, Orange;

August 12 — The Brubeck Brothers at The Gate House Café, South Britain (outdoor show, 6:30 start); Burning Spear at The Webster Theatre, GuerillaFinga opening;

August 13 — The Wailers at Tuxedo Junction (all ages); The Doobie Brothers at Foxwoods’ Fox Theatre; The New Deal at The Webster Theatre;

August 14 — Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera at Hartford Civic Center; Black-Eyed Peas at Toad’s Place (all ages); Something Corporate at The Webster Theatre; Anthem at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

August 15 — i-95 Unplugged at CityCenter Green, Danbury, featuring Joel Cage (headliner), with Jeffrey Braun, David Brewer, Ethan Carey, Ethan James & Pat McMinn (7:30 show, no rain location); The Nerds at Toad’s place, Simple Jim opening; Burning Ferns at The Webster Theatre; Adrian Legg (early show) at The Acoustic Café, then Rob Suhosa;

August 16 — The Benjamins at Tuxedo Junction; The Larissa DeLorenzo Band at The Acoustic Café; Starship featuring Mickey Thomas at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

August 17 — Mary Fahl at Towne Crier Café, Pawling, N.Y.;

August 20 — John Mayer and Counting Crows at Meadows Music Centre; Particle at Tuxedo Junction.