*If you’ve been living in a cave and out of the loop for the past year (and I don’t want to hear from the cavemen who act in the Geico commercials over that crack), you may not realize that it’s been a big year around town. Newtown is celebrating its 300th birthday, Newtown Savings Bank is celebrating 150 years in business, and even Edmond Town Hall is having a big birthday. In May 1929, Mary Hawley placed a trowel full of cement on the bricks that would hold the cornerstone, and then by August 1930 the building was complete.

  Live music will help honor the 75th anniversary of the building of Edmond Town Hall. THE PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND will be in Newtown on Thursday, October 6. Don’t wait to buy tickets – this show is only two weeks away.

 Tickets are $30 and on sale now at the town hall’s box office and the Board of Manager’s office, as well as at C.H. Booth Library and Newtown Savings Bank. Want more information? Call the ETH Board of Manager’s office, 270-4285.

  *Now that ZOX has released its second CD, The Wait, I could say that the band has gone back on the road to support it… but these guys haven’t stopped touring for years.

  The CD was the #7 album on the National Billboard Internet sales chart the week it was released, putting it right between COLDPLAY and THE BLACK-EYED PEAS. It was the #1 selling record in Rhode Island (the band’s home state) in its first week out as well.

  The band had its hometown release party last weekend in Providence and while it will take a few weeks to get here, family and friends of Newtown native Spencer Swain (and fans of the band, which played a quietly-publicized show at Newtown High School earlier this year) can expect to welcome him and the band back home (or as close as they’re going to be for the foreseeable future) on October 7 at Monkey Bar in Danbury.

  *HAT CITY BLUES BAND will be in Bethel this weekend, playing at The Spot on Saturday night. Showtime is 9:30. The bar is at 1 Front Street (at the corner of Greenwood Avenue).

  Next month the guys will be at REDDING ROAD HOUSE on October 29 and then in November, on the 12th, they’ll be at 59 Bank in New Milford (59 Bank Street; telephone 860-350-5995).

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

SEPTEMBER 23 — Mary Beth Sippin & Goldrush at the Durham Fair; Nashville Pussy at The Webster Theater, Hartford, Zeke, The Aka’s and Southern Bastard Church opening (all ages); Reid Grenauer at The Acoustic Café, Bridgeport; Dead By Wednesday CD release party at Toad’s Place, New Haven (all ages); Gregg Rolie (of Santana) at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville;

September 24 — Hat City Blues Band at The Spot, Bethel; Taylor Dayne at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Albert Cummings at The Acoustic Café;

September 29 — Capleton at Toad’s Place (all ages);

September 30 — Lemonheads with Evan Dando at The Webster Theater, All Systems Go and Planeside opening (all ages); Murphy’s Law at The Webster Underground, Hartford; The Nerds at Toad’s Place, Ink opening.

OCTOBER 1 — Bo Diddley at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville; Los Lonely Boys at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theatre, Ledyard; John Hammond, Hot Tuna and Leon Russell at The Warner Theatre, Torrington; Roomful of Blues at Towne Crier Café, Pawling, N.Y.