*JOHN VOKET returns to Mocha Coffee House tonight. The Friday evening show will begin at 7 and run until the Sandy Hook venue closes, which has been about 11 pm lately.

  TED & DEAN’S EXCELLENT ADVENTURE will also be playing at Mocha in Sandy Hook again this weekend. The guys will return for their latest show on Saturday night.

  The duo – Ted Hartlett and Dean Snellback – play acoustic roots rock, vintage pop and folk, with singalongs encouraged. They guys have put together a song list that includes music by everyone from the Beatles, CCR, the Stones, Cat Stevens and America to The Doors, Righteous Brothers, Jimmy Buffett, Tom Petty and plenty of other familiar favorites.

  Next month the duo will be featured on Sunday, September 11, at The Georgetown Saloon.

  *Also this evening, HAT CITY BLUES BAND (which includes Newtown resident David Lott) will be at Bobby Q’s in Westport. Showtime is 10 pm.

  The club is at 42 Main Street; telephone 203-454-7800.

  *Tickets are on sale today (August 19) for the latest concert announced for The Arena at Harbor Yard.

  JUDAS PRIEST, with special guest ANTHRAX, will be in Bridgeport on Wednesday, October 5. Tickets for the show are $49.50 and will be available at the arena’s box office and through all TicketMaster vendors.

  *Two legendary greats (and personal favorites) – JOHN HIATT and SHAWN COLVIN – will take the stage at The Palace Theatre Waterbury on Friday, August 26. Showtime is 8 pm and tickets are available at the theater’s box office; call 203-755-4700 for full details.

  *Last week The Palace Theater in Waterbury announced its first anniversary full-season line-up.

 Season highlights will include STEVE WINWOOD on Wednesday, October 12, with tickets priced at $37, $47 and $57; TRISH YEARWOOD on Sunday, November 6 ($32, $42, $52 and $60); KENNY ROGERS on Wednesday, December 21 ($44, $54, $64 and $78); EARTH, WIND & FIRE on Friday, December 30 (tickets $46, $56, $76 and $86); and DAVID SANBORN and CHRIS BOTTI on Sunday, February 26 ($25, $35 and $45).

  Tickets to all shows taking place before December 29 will go on sale to the public on Friday, August 19. Tickets can be purchased by phone at 203-755-4700 and online at wwww.PalaceTheaterCT.org and can also be purchased at the Palace Theater box office, located at 100 East Main Street.

  Tickets to all 2006 shows will go on sale to the public on Monday, October 10. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets to 2006 events now should contact the box office about purchasing a First Anniversary Subscription or PalacE-Pass, both of which offer the opportunity to purchase tickets to all events, ahead of the general public, in a preferred seating location.

  Contact the box office for information on group rates for any of the theater’s shows.

  Visit the theater’s website also for the full schedule, which includes a few holiday offerings, classical music concerts, family programming and educational offerings in addition to stuff mentioned here.

  *Super-group CHICAGO will return to Mohegan Sun Arena on Sunday, November 13. Tickets for that show are also on sale this morning, as of 10 am. Tickets are $45.25 and $35.25, and available through the TicketMaster vendor of your choice.

  *ROB THOMAS will bring his solo show to Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, October 15.

  Tickets for that show, priced at $45 and $30, will be going on sale Saturday, August 27, at 10 am.

  The first day of sales at the casino will be conducted by a wristband system, with wristbands handed out at 7 am. All TicketMaster vendors will also be handling sales for the Thomas show.

  Thomas will additionally be featured on CBS-TV on September 9, when the station broadcasts “Fashion Rocks,” an event that will be taking place the previous night at Radio City Music Hall.

  This weekend the casino’s theater will be putting on sale tickets for a TERRI CLARK and TRACE ADKINS show and DREW CAREY & THE IMPROV ALL-STARS.

  Clark and Adkins will co-headline on Thursday, October 27, with tickets going on sale this Friday morning.

  The September 29 comedy show will feature Carey, of course, along with Kathy Kinney, Jeff Davis, Greg Proops, Chip Epsten, Sean Masterson and Jonathan Mangum.

  Tickets for that show are going on sale Saturday, August 13, at 10 am. Tickets for both of these shows (the country concert and the comedy evening) will be $25 and $35.

  *Returning to Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den next month for two shows is KANSAS, with plans to perform on September 16 and 17.

 GREGG ROLIE of Santana will headline on September 23. TAYLOR DAYNE headlines the following evening.

Future shows will include BO DIDDLEY on October 1; COLLECTIVE SOUL, October 8; JACK WAGNER, October 14 and 15; LITTLE RIVER BAND, October 16; THE FIXX, October 21; DAVID CASSIDY, October 22; and BRET MICHAELS, October 29.

  *The Webster Theater has not only added an October 19 LOCAL H show, an acoustic gig on November 19 by EDWIN McCAIN, and a November 27 DARK STAR ORCHESTRA show, but it also has its first listing for well into 2006: OVERKILL and PRONG on March 2.

  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 19 — John Voket at Mocha Coffee House, Sandy Hook; Eddie Money at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville; Finch, RX Bandits and A Static Lullaby at The Webster Theater, Hartford (Hidden in Plain View, originally scheduled, has been postponed; call the club for details); The Machine at Toad’s Place, New Haven, Sol Dog opening; Hat City Blues Band at Bobby Q’s, Westport; Sugar Ray & The Bluetones at Towne Crier Café, Pawling, N.Y., featuring Monster Mike Welch;

August 20 — Ted & Dean’s Excellent Adventure at Mocha; Mötley Crüe’s Carnival of Sin at The Dodge Music Center, Hartford (formerly The Meadows), with Sum 41, et al; Lucinda at Bank Street Coffee House, New Milford; Emerson Drive at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Huey Lewis & The News at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theatre (note: show is sold out); John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band at Bridgewater Country Fair; Green Machine at Tuxedo Junction; Christine Lavin at Towne Crier Café;

August 21 — The Allman Brothers Band at The Dodge Music Center (formerly The Meadows), moe opening; Journey at Mohegan Sun Arena;

August 23 — 50 Cent at The Dodge Music Center, with special guests Ludacris, Lil Jon, Ciara, Mike Jones and G-Unit;

August 24 — Spyro Gyra at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

August 25 — The More Drama Tour: Howe, Squire & White at Mohegan Sun Arena; Tower of Power at Toad’s Place, Electric Mayhem opening;

August 26 — The Rolling Stones at Rentschler Field, East Hartford; John Hiatt and Shawn Colvin at The Palace Theatre, Waterbury; Joan Armatrading at The Ridgefield Playhouse; MercyMe and Salvador at Ives Concert Park; Cherish The Ladies at Towne Crier Café;

August 27 — Bob Weir & Ratdog and Bruce Hornsby & The Noisemakers at The Chevrolet Theatre (formerly The Oakdale); Badfish at Toad’s Place, Starside, This Defect Sequence and Fist Full of Steel opening (all ages); Screaming Broccoli at Tuxedo Junction;

August 28 — Toby Keith at The Dodge Music Center (formerly The Meadows), Lee Ann Womack and Shooter Jennings opening.