*A quick note on two cancelled shows at the Oakdale in Wallingford: If you have tickets and haven’t yet heard, this weekend’s EN VOGUE and NEW EDITION concert is off, as is next weekend’s LIL’ ROMEO show.

*The British is coming! The British is coming!

PAUL McCARTNEY will play the first Hartford concert of his career on Friday, September 27, at Hartford Civic Center. Tickets are going on sale Saturday morning (July 20), ranging from $51.50 to $251.50 (plus box office service charges). The Connecticut show will be on the second leg of McCartney’s all-hits concert tour, which is getting rave reviews everywhere it plays. The fall series of shows, called Back In The US, will continue with the same band McCartney had behind him during the spring 2002 Driving USA Tour – Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray on guitars, Abe Laboriel Jr on drums and Wix Wickens on keyboards.

 Tickets will be available at all TicketMaster outlets, by calling 860-525-4500 or 203-624-0033, or by logging onto ctnow.com. There will be no first-day sales at the civic center box office.

*Also playing the civic center for the first time in September will be INCUBUS. Brandon Boyd and the rest of the band will be in Hartford on Wednesday, September 18. The show was confirmed by officials from the civic center earlier this week, although ticket prices and an on-sale date were not yet confirmed. 30 SECOND TO MARS is being mentioned right now as the opener.

*THE MacVITTIES will be playing a set at Ives Concert Park next weekend. Anyone going in early to see the ART GARFUNKEL show on July 26 will be treated to a performance by father and son Fred and Chris, who will be on a lawn-situated satellite stage. The MacVitties have released Love Letters, their second CD, so expect songs from that new collection as well as their debut release of last year. Their set will run from 5:30 to 7:15, followed by mainstage opener KEVIN BRIODY at 7:30 and then the headlining performance by Garfunkel.

Tickets for next Friday’s concert are $41 and $56 for reserved seating, $26 on the lawn, $11 for children on the lawn, and free for children ages 2 and under on the lawn. There is a $3 increase on tickets purchased at the gate. The venue is on the westside campus of Western CT State University, off Mill Plain Road (the road that goes up the hill, opposite Super Stop & Shop). If you want to reserve your tickets, call the concert park’s box office at 837-9226 or TicketMaster locally at 744-8100.

*3 will be back at Hat City Ale House in Danbury on Saturday, August 3, for a 10 pm show. Friends KARMA STEW will also be playing that night.

The trio also has a September 28 show at Redding Roadhouse scheduled, and continues to play at MisFitz in Southbury every Sunday.

*COAL CHAMBER has been added, within the last week, to the Toad’s Place calendar. The band has an all-ages show scheduled for Thursday, July 28.

Also recently new is tonight’s show by ME’SHELL N’DEGEOCELLO. Tickets will be $20 at the door. It’s an all-ages show. Coming up on Tuesday is the MICHELE SHOCKED show, also all ages, and also $20 at the door.

*Just a reminder this week that next weekend will be one of the bigger concerts of this year’s CityCenter Summertime Festival, as far as organizers are concerned anyway. Former BAD COMPANY lead singer BRIAN HOWE will be at the CityCenter Green, which is surrounded by Ives Street and Patriot Drive in downtown Danbury, on Saturday, July 27. Showtime is 7:30, admission is free, and the entire production moves over to Danbury High School if it’s raining Saturday night. Call 792-1711 for details.

*Pollstar is listing a September 10 show by DREAM THEATER, with sets by JOE SATRIANI and KING’S X, at the careerbuilder.com Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford. The theater’s website, however, hasn’t posted the show yet, so I don’t have an onsale or ticket prices for you. I’ll post them when I see them, of course. Pollstar, a reliable source, is also listing a September 22 TRISHA YEARWOOD concert and a November 8 GARY LEWIS & THE PLAYBOYS show.

Until next week, I’ll be seeing you… on the road, continuing to celebrate National Hot Dog Month.

Questions and comments should be sent to Shannon Hicks, c/o Bee Publishing Co., 5 Church Hill Road, Newtown 06470, or shannon@thebee.com, or call The Bee office at 426-3141.

Shows listed on the calendar at club locations are for ages 21 and over unless specified.

UPCOMING CONCERTS

JULY 19 — Anger Management 2002 at The Meadows, Hartford, featuring Eminem, Papa Roach, Ludacris, Xzibit, X-Ecutioners, et al; Leon Redbone at Towne Crier Café; Band Camp at Tuxedo Junction; Me’shell N’Degeocello at Toad’s Place, New Haven (all ages); The Bridge at Classic Rock Brew Pub, Danbury;

July 20 — Weezer at Meadows Music Centre, Dashboard Confessional and Sparta opening; The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction; Gutterboogie at Classic Rock Brew Pub;

July 21 — Lake Trout at Toad’s Place, Tarmak opening (all ages); 3 at MisFitz, Southbury;

July 24 — Creed at The Meadows, Jerry Cantrell and 12 Stones opening;

July 23 — Michele Shocked at Toad’s Place (all ages);

July 25 — The Tom Tom Club at Toad’s Place (all ages), The Andy Buzzi Trio and Rearview opening;

July 25-26 — SOLD OUT: Dave Matthews Band at The Meadows;

July 26 — Peter Obre and Alan Johnson at Proud Mary’s; India.Arie at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theatre; Deep Banana Blackout at The Webster Theatre; Poppa Squat at Tuxedo Junction; Murphy’s Law at Toad’s Place; Four Sticks at Classic Rock Brew Pub;

July 27 — Peter Obre and Alan Johnson at 707 On Main; Average White Band at The Webster Theatre; Brian Howe at CityCenter Green (former Bad Company lead singer; showtime 7:30, at Danbury High School if rain); Hipnotic at Tuxedo Junction; Detour at Classic Rock Brew Pub;

July 28 — Coal Chamber at Toad’s Place (all ages); 3 at MisFitz;

July 29 — Judas Priest at The Webster Theatre;

July 31 — Journey at Mohegan Sun Arena.