*The Meadows Music Theatre in Hartford will present a special indoor show on Wednesday, December 17. Tickets go on sale Saturday morning for “Frosty the Show, Man!” featuring MAROON 5, SIMPLE PLAN, MYA, JESSICA SIMPSON, WILLA FORD and FEFE DOBSON.

Tickets are priced at $25 and $35. Please note – and this is important if you’re going to try to purchase tickets in person Saturday morning – because the Meadows box office is not currently open, ticket sales will be at the Oakdale box office in Wallingford. A wristband lottery will be held for this event. Distribution of wristbands will begin at 8 am, and the lottery will occur at 9:30.

If you want to go online for tickets go through tickets.com. You can also charge by phone with the Oakdale’s box office (203-165-1501) or ticket.com’s call center (888-332-5600).

Also coming up is the on-sale for JOSH GROBAN, who will be at the Oakdale on Thursday, April 8. By that time the material on young Mr Groban’s new album, Closer, which was just released this week, which be very familiar.

Tickets for this show are $47, $57 and $67, and will be going on sale Monday at 10 am. These tickets will be sold at the Oakdale box office as well. Wristbands will be given out beginning at 8 am, and the lottery for line placement is set for 9:30.

*AMERICAN MORTAR ORIGINAL ROCK BAND has a show at Mario’s Café in Derby this weekend. The five-member band is vocalist Susan, lead guitarist Danny, drummer Bob, rhythm guitarist Al and bass guitarist Lee, who “play rockin’ originals and contemporary to classic rock covers,” will be at the 165 Main Street café Saturday night.

*Also playing nearby this weekend is CHARISMA, who will be at Jim Barbarie’s in Danbury on Friday and Saturday, November 14 and 15. Kathy Buda mentioned this week that dinner before the show would be a perfect evening; the restaurant can be reached at 743-3287 and it’s located at 47 Padanaram Road. These shows will include some new tunes the band is polishing up before the big show for Family Counseling Center’s Annual Newtown Holiday Festival Gala, which is coming up quickly on Friday, December 5. For details on that semi-formal evening, a benefit for Family Counseling Center that will be held at The Amber Room and include dinner, dancing, and silent and live auctions at $100 per person, contact festival chairman Nancy Obremski at 364-0597.

A second note about the band: Next weekend’s show at JC Hooks in Waterbury has been postponed until further notice.

*OFF THE HOOK has a full schedule for the next two months, including shows tonight at The Rathskeller in Southbury and tomorrow at Redding Roadhouse. Next weekend the trio will be at Playwright Pub & Restaurant in Hamden on Friday, and then at The GW Tavern in Washington Depot on Saturday. On Wednesday, November 26, Off The Hook has a Thanksgiving eve show set up at Angus Restaurant in Fairfield.

In December the guys will be at Carl Anthony’s in Monroe on the 5th; 707 On Main, also in Monroe, on the 6th. They then return to The Rathskeller on Friday, November 12, play at Jacob marley’s in Orange on December 13, return to Playwright Pub & Restaurant on December 19, and again at The GW Tavern on December 20.

*SIDESHOW also has a good schedule set up for the next two months. Grady McAuliffe, Fred Dotson, Jay Bremen, John Dotson and Chris Messner will be at Murphy & Scarletti’s in Farmington on November 21, at Black Rock & Blue in Bridgeport on November 22, and then have a big Thanksgiving eve show at Tuxedo Junction in Danbury on November 26. After that the guys will close out the month at The Brickyard in Hartford on November 29.

Next month SideShow will be at Stash’s in New London and December 6, and Shenanigan’s in South Norwalk on December 20.

*HAT CITY BLUES BAND’s next show will be at Bohemian Pizza & Ditto’s Bar in Litchfield on November 22. The guys plan to start around 10 pm, and the cover charge is just $5. The restaurant-bar is at 342 Bantam Road; call 860-567-3980 for specifics.

*THE DEREK TRUCKS BAND will be at The Ridgefield Playhouse for Movies and Performing Arts on Thursday, November 20, at 8 pm. I believe the band is continuing to tour on the tails of the 2002 release Joyful Noise. Tickets are $35 for all seats and can be reserved by calling 203-438-5795.

The playhouse in the old Ridgefield High School building at 80 East Avenue. Visit www.RidgefieldPlayhouse.org for specific directions if you need them.

*MUSHROOMHEAD has apparently replaced the previously scheduled EVE 6 show at The Webster Theatre on December 12. The Hartford venue’s website is now listing Mushroomhead for that date, and Eve 6 has been moved to December 14. Cortez will be opening. Call for details, 860-525-5553.

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

NOVEMBER 14 — Charisma at Jim Barberie’s, Danbury; Max Creek at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; Off The Hook at The Rathskeller, Southbury; Dropkick Murphys at The Webster Theatre, Hartford, The Casualties and Avoid One Thing opening (all ages); Soul Brains at Toad’s Place (all ages);

November 15 — American Mortar Original Rock Band at Mario’s Café, Derby; Charisma at Jim Barberie’s; Off The Hook at Redding Roadhouse, Redding; Hipnotic at Tuxedo Junction; Left Over Salmon at The Webster Theatre, Rane and Robbing Opie opening (all ages);

November 16 — Little Feat at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville; King Crimson at Toad’s Place, New Haven (all ages); Galactic at The Webster Theatre (all ages);

November 17 — Symphony X at Toad’s Place (all ages);

November 18 — Hoobastank and Andrew WK at The Webster Theatre, Die Trying opening;

November 19 — Deicide at Toad’s Place, Hate Eternal, Krisium and Cattle Decapitation opening (all ages);

November 20 — The Derek Trucks Band and Pinetop Perkins at The Ridgefield Playhouse for Movies and Performing Arts;

November 21 — The Derek Trucks Band at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; SideShow at Murphy & Scarletti’s, Farmington; Off The Hook at Playwright Pub & Restaurant, Hamden; Jen Durkin’s Bomb Squad at Tuxedo Junction; Michael Hill’s Blues Mob at Black-Eyed Sally’s; James Keelaghan with Sonia (of disappear fear) at UHartford’s Wilde Auditorium; Johnny Winter at The Webster Theatre (all ages);

November 22 — Lynyrd Skynyrd at Foxwoods’ Fox Theatre, Ledyard; SideShow at Black Rock & Blue, Bridgeport; Sol Dog at 100 Church Hill, Newtown; Hat City Blues Band at Bohemian Pizza & Ditto’s Bar, Litchfield; Screaming Broccoli at Tuxedo Junction; Off The Hook at The GW Tavern, Washington Depot;

November 23 — MTV2 Presents featuring Thrice and Thursday at The Webster Theatre, Coheed and Cambria opening (all ages);

November 24 — Godsmack at the Oakdale Theatre, Adema opening;

November 25 — A Perfect Circle at the Oakdale Theatre;

November 26 — SideShow at Tuxedo Junction; Fuel at The Webster Theatre, Revis opening; Phil Lesh & Friends at the Oakdale Theatre; Deep Banana Blackout at Toad’s Place (all ages, all original and current members);

November 27 — Sol Dog at The Avenue Café, Bridgeport;

November 28 — Bad Medicine at Tuxedo Junction; NRBQ at Toad’s Place; Anthony Gomes at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Disco Biscuits at The Webster Theatre (all ages);

November 29 — The Moody Blues at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre; Simon & Garfunkel at Mohegan Sun Arena; SideShow at The Brickyard Café, Hartford; Anthony Gomes at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Disco Biscuits at The Webster Theatre (playing two nights, all ages shows); The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction;

November 30 — Dark Star Orchestra at Tuxedo Junction.