On The Road With Shannon Hicks, October 30

*Newtown musician (someday we’ll all get to say we knew her when, because this girl’s going places!) DARIA MUSK will be the musical entertainment for a fun pre-Halloween party Friday night. Daria will be playing at The Acoustic Café’s Pre-Halloween Vampire Themed Party & Concert.

The party starts at 8, and music will follow about an hour later. There will be prizes for best costumes, a projector will be showing Twilight the movie, candy, and blood red drinks for adults. The show is all ages, but those of you under 21 will bee a parent or guardian to get into 2926 Fairfield Avenue in Bridgeport.

“We all know vampires are this year’s hottest trend,” the lovely and talented Ms Musk wrote in this week’s email dispatch. “So get your fangs out, your werewolf fur groomed, your telepath ears pricked... Whether you’re into the Twilight books and movies, HBO’s True Blood, The Vampire Diaries, or if you just love live music and a killer party... You’ll find plenty of fantastic fans and fellow night-crawlers to revel and rock out with!

“It’ll be like walking into the rainy vampire-ridden town of Forks (from Twilight) to find Merlotte’s Bar and Fangtasia (the best human hangout and the favorite vampire hot-spot from True Blood) filled with friends, blood-red drinks, candies, hot music and all sorts of Halloween awesomeness... And a sign that says:

“Featured on stage tonight will be your very own pop/rock songstress Daria Musk, playing the part of Sookie Stackhouse the loveable Telepath-Next-Door from True Blood and singer/songwriter Brian Dolzani as the night’s vampire heart-throb.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

*TWICE AROUND, an acoustic-folk-pop duo from Milford, has been playing original music in the area since 1997. Frank Veres and Luisa Tanno will bring their SAS (Serious Acoustic Succotash) to Mocha Coffee House in Sandy Hook this weekend for a pre-Halloween show Friday night.

*Meanwhile, local favorites THE DOUG WAHLBERG BAND is among those who will be performing on Saturday night. Doug and crew will be back at The Kicking Horse Grill in Southport this weekend.

*Also doing a Halloween show this year will be HAT CITY BLUES BAND. The guys will be at Redding Roadhouse on Saturday for a 9:30 show.

Beyond that, the band has gigs scheduled for November 14 at The Kicking Horse Grill in Southport; November 25 at 55 Bank in New Milford; and December 12 at Lumberyard Pub, 2 Main Street in West Redding.

*THE WAY-BACK MACHINE will be performing their take on the music of the 60s and 70s next weekend at Widow Brown’s Café, Federal Road in Danbury. Showtime for the November 7 show is 9:30.

*ANI DiFRANCO and her band will preview DiFranco’s new album, Red Letter Year when she headlines The Ridgefield Playhouse on Wednesday, November 18. Showtime is 8 am and tickets are $45 and $55; call 203-438-5795 or visit RidgefieldPlayhouse for details and purchases.

Special guest will be singer Gaby Moreno.

*Infinity Music Hall in Norfolk will host FRAN COSMO, former Boston vocalist, and Anthony Cosmo, former guitarist and songwriter of the same band, performing Boston’s hits. That show will be Saturday, November 7, at 8 pm, and will also include some of the material from the 2006 release Alien.

Tickets are $35 to $50 and are available through InfinityHall.com, as is a full listing of upcoming shows, including details about a January show by BO BICE and a February return by GREG BROWN.

*Newtown musician JOE PROC has a pair of shows coming up during the next few weeks.

On Saturday, November 7, Joe will be performing a (nearly) solo show at Proud Mary’s on Main Street. While the show is primarily solo and acoustic, he will be joined by guitarist and vocalist Bruce Martin for a few songs, as well as vocalist Li’l Nico for a few other songs.

The following weekend Joe returns with OFF THE HOOK bandmates Steve Clark and Abu for a show at The Redding Roadhouse. That one will be Friday, November 13.

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 clubs are for ages 21 and over unless specified.

UPCOMING SHOWS

OCTOBER 30 — Twice Around at Mocha Coffee House, Sandy Hook; Halfway Home at The Blue Z, Newtown; Daria Musk at The Acoustic Café, Bridgeport; Caravan of Thieves at Fairfield Theatre Company (also October 31);

October 31 — The Derek Trucks Band at the Palace, Stamford; The Doug Wahlberg Band at Kicking Horse Grill; Caravan of Thieves at Fairfield Theatre Company; Hat City Blues Band at The Redding Roadhouse.

NOVEMBER 3  — The Subdudes at Fairfield Theatre Company, Fairfield, Diana Jones opening (also November 4);

November 4 — Don Henley at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Mashantucket; The Subdudes at Fairfield Theatre Company, Diana Jones opening;

November 5 — The Derek Trucks Band at Garde Arts Center, New London;

November 6 — Taking Back Sunday and The All-American Rejects at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Anberlin opening; The Dirty Dozen Brass Band at Fairfield Theatre; Gin Blossoms at The Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, Joe Firstman opening;

November 7 — The Fundles at The Blue Z Coffee House, Newtown; Joe Proc at Proud Mary’s, Newtown; Rob Thomas at Mohegan Sun Arena, OneRepublic and Carolina Liar opening; Roger Daltrey at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Mashantucket; Lyle Lovett and His Large Band at Klein Memorial Auditorium, Bridgeport; Fran Cosmo and Anthony Cosmo at Infinity Music Hall, Norfolk; The Way-Back Machine at Widow Brown’s Café, Danbury;

November 8 — Dirty Dozen Brass Band at Infinity Music Hall.