*Listener-sponsored radio station WPKN (89.5 FM) will present folk-rock legends BREWER & SHIPLEY in a special EPKN benefit concert on Thursday, March 11, at 7:30 pm, at Edmond Town Hall, 45 Main Street. Opening act will be New York City-based indie folk-rocker Andrew Vladeck.

Tickets are $35 (general admission seating), and doors will open at 7. Tickets are available online at BrownPaperTickets.com and at the town hall’s box office; call 203-426-2475 or visit WPKN.org for details.

*Dave Reynolds of Newtown and his classic rock band MASS DISTRACTION will be at The Lumberyard Pub in Georgetown on Friday, March 12, and then at The Black Duck Café in Westport on Friday, March 26.

Mass Distraction on Friday, March 12th, at the Lumberyard Pub in Georgetown and on Friday, March 26th, at the Black Duck Cafe in Westport.

*Music at Mocha Coffee House in Sandy Hook will begin this weekend with a performance by SAMMY B, who has been playing music since he was 10 years old it. Currently studying music performance in jazz for guitar over at WestConn, Sammy has reportedly been influenced by a wide spectrum of artists and instructors.

Saturday night it will be TIM GILBERT in the musical corner, while next weekend’s performers will be ELISON JACKSON on Friday and KRISTIN RYAN on Saturday, March 13.

*Joe Proc’s WIPED OUT project will return to Proud Mary’s at The Inn at Newtown this weekend. The group, which includes young adult musicians, will be at the lounge at 19 Main Street on Friday for a 7 pm show.

The line-up this time around will include Joe handling the percussion, “Maze” (Mairin Hayes, on guitar and vocals), “Dr J” on guitar and vocals, “TL” on harmonica, guitar and vocals, and “Max Out” on jazz guitar and vocals.

Additional performers may include little nico (formerly lil’nico) on vocals, D. Dittie (guitar, vocals) and/or B.M.G. (guitar, vocals).

*EARNEST HEM N’ HAW & THE SHOT GUN REPUBLIC will performing a unique blend of folk-punk, rockabilly, stomp and holler music at The Blue Z Coffee House this weekend. Showtime for Saturday night is 7 pm and while there is no formal charge for the event, the traditional donation cup will be out.

If you like what you hear this weekend, the band will also be performing at The Cookhouse in New Milford on St Patrick’s Day. They also have gigs set up at Nirvana Juice Bar in Torrington on March 26, will be part of the CT Humane Society benefit in Newington on Aril 17, and will be at Snapper McGee’s in Torrington on May 21. For more information visit the band’s website at myspace.com/EarnestHemNHaw.

*An early St Paddy’s Day Party & Benefit will be held in Woodbury on Saturday, March 13, from 11 am to 8 pm.

Shock n’ Awe and Woodbury Ski Area are planning a benefit for The Haiti Relief and The St Vincent’s Soup Kitchen in Waterbury. Non-perishable food donations will be collected all day, and proceeds from the sale of $5 “Peace-Full T-shirts” will be divided between the two funds.

The ski area will be offering half-price tickets for snowboarding, skiing and tubing. There will also be a drum circle, fire spinning and live music.

The ski area is at 785 Washington Road (Route 47); call Woodbury, CT. for more information call  203-757-8874   

*GRUNGE DAY, which dubs itself the ultimate 90’s tribute band, has a handful of Connecticut shows coming up.

The band (whose members are Matt Chirsky on drums and vocals [and yes, that’s Matt of Darik and The Fun-Bags fame], Matt Forcier on bass and vocals, and Christopher Tino on guitar and vocals) will be at Bleachers in Bristol on Thursday, March 11; and then at All Stars Sports Bar & Grill in Manchester on Thursday, March 18.

The Hartford-based band plays alternative 90’s rock, and all the members are accomplished musicians with plenty of experience in the New England music scene.

*Ridgefield Band Jam, a rock band competition created by kids, will take place at The Ridgefield Playhouse on Sunday, May 2, at 4 p.m. to benefit the Playhouse. the deadline for sending in an entry for your band to participate is Sunday, March 14th. Tryouts are scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, April 12 & 13.

The event is the brainchild of eighth grader Michael Rosamilia, along with fellow middle school students Tucker Hearon and Cole Butchen, plus high school student Richard Hume. Their idea to create a benefit event to help The Ridgefield Playhouse keep its doors open.

The Ridgefield Band Jam talent contest is open not just to Ridgefield students, however, but to any area high school and middle school bands. Your band must have at least three but no more than six members, and you’ll need to be able to crank out one cover and one original song. There will be a middle school and high school division.

The competition will be hosted by i95 Radio and will feature judges including i95 morning show host Ethan Carey, Tony Award-winning actress Debbie Gravitte, internationally-acclaimed record producer Phil Ramone and David Griffith, the Senior Vice President of Marketing from SONY Music.

For complete details on the event and the official rules (which are pretty straightforward, I assure you), visit RidgefieldBandJam.com.

*Rumor has it that two legendary acts with plenty of hits between them are gearing up for a summer tour sure to bring smiles and memories to all. The Love On The Run Tour, with REO SPEEDWAGON and PAT BENATAR begins June 24 at Mohegan Sun Arena. Ticket details as soon as I have them…

*And finally this week, avid watchers of ABC’s “The Bachelor” have had a renewed awareness of JEFFREY OSBORNE and his hit “On The Wings of Love” through its integration into the show. On April 30 at 8 pm, fans will have a chance to see a performance by this 1980’s favorite at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods.

Tickets are $20 to $40 and are on sale now through MGMatFoxwoods.com, by calling the casino’s box office at 866-646-0609, through any TicketMaster, or in person at the MGM Grand Box Office.

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

MARCH 5 — Sammy B at Mocha Coffee House, Sandy Hook; Wiped out at Proud Mary’s, Newtown (early show, followed by Joe Proc, 10 pm-closing); Jay-Z at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Young Jeezy and Trey Songz opening; Popa Chubby at Infinity Music Hall, Norfolk; ETA at The Georgetown Saloon, Redding;

March 6 — Tim Gilbert at Mocha Coffee House; Earnest Hem N’ Haw & The Shotgun Republic at The Blue Z Coffee house, Newtown; Alice in Chains at MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods, Mashantucket; The Radiators at Fairfield Theatre Company; Artie Tobia at The Georgetown Saloon; Ray Davies at The Webster, Hartford;

March 7 — Dave Mason at Infinity Music Hall; St Bernadette at The Acoustic Café, Bridgeport;

March 10 — Dropkick Murphys at The Dome at Oakdale, Wallingford;

March 11 — Brewer & Shipley at Edmond Town Hall, Newtown, Andrew Vladeck opening; Grunge Day at Bleachers, Bristol;

March 12 — Old School at Proud Mary’s, Newtown; Elison Jackson at Mocha Coffee House; Mass Distraction at The Lumberyard Pub, Georgetown; Train at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Mashantucket; Grace Potter & The Nocturnals at The Ridgefield Playhouse; Johnny Boots at The Georgetown Saloon; The Doug Wahlberg Band at Molly Darcy’s, Danbury;

March 13 — Kristin Ryan at Mocha Coffee House; Leon Redbone at Quick Center/Fairfield University; Martina McBride and Trace Adkins at Mohegan Sun Arena; Alicia Keys at The MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods (also March 14);

March 14 — Alicia Keys at The MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods; David “Honeyboy” Edwards at Fairfield Theatre Company, Fairfield, with special guest Rocky Lawrence.