*Continuing on the success of his latest release (Stardust… The Great American Songbook Volume III went straight to No 1 when it was released in October) and counting on the crowds to turn out again (after already performing two sold-out shows this year), ROD STEWART will return to Mohegan Sun on Wednesday, April 13, 2005.

Tickets went on sale for this show Monday morning and I apologize for not letting you know about this in advance, but the press release from the casino didn’t arrive on my desk until last Friday morning (December 3).

Tickets are $98.25 and $68.25, and are available at Mohegan Sun’s in-house box office and through all TicketMaster outlets and vendors.

*Mohegan Sun announced on Tuesday this week the postponement of CHER’s planned December 8 return, “due to Cher’s severe throat infection.” The date will be made up, so ticket-holders can hold on to their tickets and wait to hear the new date before returning their tickets for a refund.

If you positively want to return your tickets, refunds will be granted. Telephone and Internet customers should write to TicketMaster – Attention Customer Care), 4445 Corporation Lane, Virginia Beach VA 23462. Tickets purchased at Mohegan Sun’s box office or TicketMaster outlets must be refunded at the point of purchase.

*Café Nine, 250 State Street in New Haven (telephone 203-789-8281), has really begun to fill its schedule with wide ranging shows. Two new additions include CIGAR STORE INDIANS, who play “swingin’ rockabilly flavored country,” on January 8 and Rusted Root lead singer MICHAEL GLABICKI doing a special acoustic show on February 4.

*Also adding to its 2005 schedule is The Webster Theatre, which has already added a February 4 concert by QUEENSRYCHE.

*GREGG ALLMAN, who spent much of this year on the road with The Allman Brothers Band, has put together a five-man band and plans for a four-week tour of the East Coast and southern states starting early next year. The tour begins January 21 in Pennsylvania, according to Allman’s website, and also includes a posted date (although this isn’t showing up yet on the venue’s website) the following night at Mohegan Sun.

Also at The Webster, the December 15 show by ILL NINO has been cancelled. The band has instead been added to the December 18 show already featuring BREAKING BENJAMIN and THE EXIES.

Also new: JOEY BELLADONNA of Anthrax, January 14 (tickets are $12); Ska band THE TOASTERS, January 23 (tickets $12); PATTY SMYTHE AND SCANDAL, January 29, Secret Smile opening (tickets $15); and THE SLACKERS returning February 19 (tickets $10)

*When KEVIN SPACEY performs the songs of Bobby Darin next week (December 15) at Foxwoods Casino, the performance will be in conjunction with the actor’s work (as both actor and director) in an upcoming Darin film biography Beyond the Sea. Tickets are $49.50 and $39.50, and the actor will be accompanied by a full orchestra.

*Rumor has it not only are MÖTLEY CRÜE’s four original members reuniting to hit the road in support of the band’s upcoming greatest hits album (Red, White & Crüe due February 1), but one of those stops will be at Hartford Civic Center.

Actually it’s much more than a rumor. A full press release on this subject was released on Tuesday by Island Records, with the official name of the upcoming tour VH1 & VH1 Classic Present “Mötley Crüe: Red White & Crüe Tour 2005…Better Live Than Dead.”

Nikki Sixx, Vince Neil, Mick Mars and Tommy Lee will hit the road on February 17 with a concert at the Office Depot Center in Ft Lauderdale, Fla. Eleven days (and 11 long nights) later, the band will be at Hartford Civic Center. Tickets for the February 28 show will be going on sale this weekend – Saturday, December 11. I would imagine the on-sale time would be 10 am, but check with TicketMaster for details.

The band is going full-out on this 2005 world tour, which will continue in the US in February and March, move into Latin America in May, hop over the pond to arenas in the United Kingdom and assorted summer festivals in Europe for June, and then return to the States for August and September.

Hartford is in the group of cities listed for August and September, and by that time we may not only be treated to a second show by the band in less than a year but it could very well be an outdoor on at The Meadows. We’ll see.

October is open right now, and then the guys will head to southeast Asia (including Japan, Australia and New Zealand) in November and December.

*Also reuniting – and this is well-known to be true – and on the road already is DURAN DURAN. The Fab Five of the Eighties Invasion will also be in Connecticut next year. Tickets will reportedly be going on sale December 17 for an April 3 show at Mohegan Sun Casino.

*Finally this week, THE MARSHALL TUCKER BAND will be returning to Toad’s Place in New Haven on February 4. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the show.

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

DECEMBER 10 — Charisma at Carl Anthony’s Trattoria, Monroe; Clay Aiken at careerbuilder.com Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford; Off The Hook at Rathskeller, Southbury; Girlyman at The Acoustic Café, Bridgeport, followed by Piecing Together Broken Blue Skies (benefit in memory of Mike Griffin); Lisa Lisa at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville; Bone Dry at The Georgetown Saloon; Chris Smither at Towne Crier Café, Pawling, N.Y.

December 11 — Hall & Oates at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theatre (sold out?); The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; Kaki King and Welcome, Burnkit, Kateroy & Slow Hand at The Acoustic Café; Curtis T & The Bernadettes at The Georgetown Saloon; The Clancy Tradition at Towne Crier Café;

December 12 — Godsmack at careerbuilder.com Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford (acoustic show); Klezmer Mountain Boys at The Acoustic Café; Spontaneous Combustion at The Georgetown Saloon; Michael Packer Blues Band at Towne Crier Café with special guests Bob Mintzer, Papa Nebo & Sandy Allen;

December 15 — Kevin Spacey at Foxwoods Casino; John Valby at Tuxedo Junction; Pencil Grass at The Acoustic Café;

December 16 — Dark Star Orchestra at Toad’s Place (all ages); Switchfoot at The Webster Theatre, Hartford, The JT Experience opening (all ages);

December 17 — John Valby at Toad’s Place; Joe Proc at Carl Anthony’s; Roamer at The Acoustic Café; Jay Stollman & The Black Rock All-Stars; Gandalf Murphy & The Slambovian Circus of Dreams at Towne Crier Café;

December 18 — Off The Hook at Jacob Marley’s, Orange; The Benjamins at Tuxedo Junction; Marion Meadows at Toad’s Place (Christmas show, all ages), followed by Eight To The Bar; Chris Isaak (holiday show) at Foxwoods Casino; Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s Christmas show at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Liam Baily and Liz McNichol at The Acoustic Café; Breaking Benjamin, The Exies and Ill Nino at The Webster Theatre; Smokehouse at The Georgetown Saloon; Aztec Two-Step at Towne Crier Café, Mad Agnes opening;

December 19 — BR-549 at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Jane Siberry at The Acoustic Café; Galuminum Foil at Towne Crier Café featuring Danny Lanzetta, Chris Cubeta & The Liars Club and Flywheel & Parlor;

December 21 — From Autumn To Ashes at Toad’s Place, Emery, Honorary Title and Emanuel opening (all ages);

December 23 — The Breakfast (formerly Psychedelic Breakfast) at Toad’s Place (all ages); John Torres at The Acoustic Café;

December 26 — Willie Nininger at The Georgetown Saloon;

December 27 — Aaron Lewis at Mohegan Sun’s Cabaret Theatre (solo acoustic show, not a Staind performance; also December 28);

December 28 — Aaron Lewis at Mohegan Sun’s Cabaret Theatre (see December 27 details);

December 31 — The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction; New Year’s Eve with Max Creek and Psychedelic Breakfast at Toad’s Place; Nina Sky, Ciara and Monica at Foxwoods Casino; Party Boss at The Georgetown Saloon; New Year’s Eve Celebration with Debbie Davies Blues Band, Rob Carlson and others at Towne Crier Café.