*The October 5 concert by JEWEL at Foxwoods Casino has been cancelled. If you’ve already purchased tickets contact the casino’s box office for a refund; 800-200-2882.

*It’s time for the 9th Annual Greater Danbury Irish Festival, a three-day event returning to Ives Concert Park in Danbury this weekend. The festival is scheduled for Friday, September 12, from 5 to 10:30 pm; Saturday from 11 am to 10:30 pm, and Sunday from 11 am to 7 pm, and is going to be rain or shine. The Irish are undaunted by a little bit of rain. Tickets are $10 per day for adults, $5 for college students with ID, and free for kids age 12 and under.

The festival will of course be punctuated by endless live music including sets by THE TIPPERARY KNIGHTS, HIGHLAND ROVERS, THE MERRY PLOUGHBOYS and more. There will also be performances by step dancers, ceili and set dancing, cultural exhibits, Irish imports, plenty of food and drink, souvenir tents, children’s activities and sporting demonstrations.

Information is available from The Ancient Order of Hibernians (AOH is the event’s sponsor) Info Line, 730-8211, and also at www.danbury.org/aoh/Festival/aohfeis.htm.

*SIDESHOW plays Shenanigan’s in South Norwalk tonight, and then will be at Tuxedo Junction in Danbury tomorrow night.

Speaking of Tuxedo Junction, the club will host its 4th Annual Jim Edelman Benefit this weekend. FUTURE TENSE and SAPPHIRE will co-headline the event on Sunday. Doors open at 6.

THE SAMPLES, who have opened for everyone from THE DAVE MATTHEWS BAND and PHISH to BIG HEAD TODD AND THE MONSTERS and BLUES TRAVELER will make a headlining stop in Danbury next week. The guys will be at Tuxedo Junction on Tuesday, September 16, for an all ages show. Tickets are $10 if purchased in advance or $15 at the door.

*TREBLEHOOK will be at Fireside Inn in Newtown next weekend. The band – now Dave Aston, Brian Morgan, Alan Morgan, Brian Morgan, and Andy Spencer – will be starting around 9 on Friday, September 19.

Treblehook was formed in 1996 and was joined recently by its new member, Mr Aston. Alan Morgan plays guitar and harmonica, Brian Morgan plays lead guitar, and Mr Spencer plays guitar and banjo. All three contribute vocals. The band’s name came from the fact these three members grew up in Sandy Hook. Mr Aston has been playing in a bluegrass band for “quite some time” with Mr Spencer. He brings into the mix his talents on tuba, sousaphone, electric bass, and upright acoustic, “anything that has to do with the bass,” he said during a recent rehearsal.

The band performs original songs and a traditional folk and pop repertoire, and also added a few covers to its offerings.

*CHARISMA, another band with local interest (the musicians Peter Obre and Kathy Buda), will be at Molly Darcy’s in Danbury on Thursday, September 25. Showtime is 9 pm.

The group also learned recently that it will be part of the Reed Intermediate School Dinner Dance-Auction event being planned for October 25 at The Amber Room Colonnade in Danbury. The band will then be playing again at J.C. Hooks in Waterbury on Friday, November 21, starting around 9:30.

*Tickets will be going on sale Saturday morning at 10 for 3 DOORS DOWN, who will be at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford along with Seether and Shinedown on Thursday, October 23. Showtime is 7:30 and tickets have been broken into two brackets: $29.50 for a general admission pit area that will be set up and $27.50 for all reserved seats.

Call the Oakdale’s box office, 203-165-1501, or contact any tickes.com outlet for tickets.

*Speaking of the Oakdale, word came in this week that THE BLUE MAN GROUP will be returning to Connecticut. The trio has announced it will continue to tour the US and has added a third leg of fall dates that will primarily visit amphitheaters in support of the recently released The Complex. The new tour has 40 dates scheduled, including a November stop at the Oakdale.

Online tickets have been available through the group’s website (www.blueman.com) priced at $25, $35 and $45. Box office sales should begin within a week or two.

*SOL DOG returns to The Red Door in Watertown tonight for one of its final shows before heading south to make its next CD. The guys will be going on after 10 or so. Rev, Ron, Mark and Curtiss are less than three weeks away from a trip to Nashville, where they will work with former Allman Brothers Band member Johnny Neel, who will produce their next recording. The Red Door is at 675 Main Street in Watertown. Call 860-945-6688 if you need directions.

*Sometimes bands drop a line with the basics – “Here’s our name and here are some of our upcoming shows, hope you can get a mention in The Bee for us.” Sometimes groups get a little more creative with their writings, which carries over from their performances (or does it work vice versa?). Sol Dog is one such band I can count on to send entertaining band updates. AMERICAN MORTAR ORIGINAL ROCK BAND is quickly becoming another favorite to hear from.

Susan Washburn dropped a line this week to mention three upcoming shows the band has landed at Mario’s Café in Derby (165 Main Street; telephone 203-734-5248. AMORB will be at Mario’s on Saturdays, September 27, October 25, and November 15.

Members are Susan, the vocalist, along with lead guitarist Danny (both of whom are Newtown residents), drummer Bob from Shelton, rhythm guitarist Al from West Haven, and bass guitarist Lee from Watertown. The band, Susan reminded me, “plays rockin’ originals and contemporary to classic rock covers,” and the band usually brings along its own art show.

Susan is also an artist who, for the rock shows, totes along some “unusual, not-living-room-art paintings … as well as a day-glo backdrop lit by a black light for that extra mysterious effect behind the band.”

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

SEPTEMBER 12 — Mariah Carey at the Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford; SideShow at Shenanigans, South Norwalk; Sol Dog at The Red Door Café, Watertown; Saves The Day and Taking Back Sunday at The Webster Theater, Hartford; From Autumn To Ashes at Toad’s Place, New Haven, Cave In, Every Time I Die and Funeral For A Friend opening (all ages); Sam Cockrell & The Groove at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Cafe, Hartford; Lucy Kaplansky at UHartford’s Wilde Auditorium, West Hartford;

September 13 — An Acoustic Evening: Carpenter, Colvin, Griffin & Williams at The Fox Theatre/Foxwoods, Ledyard, featuring Mary Chapin Carpenter, Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin & Dar Williams; Overkill at The Webster Theatre; SideShow at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; Southside Johnny & The Asbury Jukes at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville; Heather Hardy at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

September 14 — 4th Annual Jim Edelman Benefit at Tuxedo Junction featuring Future Tense, Sapphire, et al; Fighting Gravity at The Webster Theatre, Stephanian, Far From Here, Raine and Brown Couch opening;

September 16 — (SOLD OUT, tickets for 9/18 still available) Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band at Rentschler Field, East Hartford; The Samples at Tuxedo Junction; Sizzla at Toad’s Place (all ages);

September 18 — Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band at Rentschler Field;

September 19 — Treblehook at Fireside Inn, Newtown; John Valby at Toad’s Place; Vonda Shepard at The Ridgefield Playhouse for Movies and Performing Arts, Ridgefield; Anthony Gomes at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Richard Shindell at UHartford’s Wilde Auditorium;

September 20 — SideShow at Shenanigan’s, South Norwalk; The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction;

September 24 — Skid Row at The Webster Theatre, Roadhouse opening;

September 25 — Charisma at Molly Darcy’s, Danbury;

September 26 — Credence Clearwater Revisited at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den (also Sept 27); The Nerds at Toad’s Place; Johnnie Marshall at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

September 27 — Jonny Lang at The Shubert Theatre, New Haven; Credence Clearwater Revisited at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction; Ill Nino at The Webster Theater, Spineshank, 40 Below Summer and Scrape opening;

September 28 — The Bacon Brothers at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Journey at Foxwoods’ Fox Theatre; Joan Jett & The Blackhearts at Durham Fair, Durham;

September 29 — The Charlie Daniels Band at Durham Fair;

September 30 — The Starting Line at The Webster Theatre, Homegrown, The Early November, Senses Fail and Alister opening.