On The Road With Shannon, November 25

*If you happen to grab The Bee the moment it comes out this week on Wednesday (and we all thank you for being an avid reader) and you’re still deciding what to do for Thanksgiving Eve, here’s one suggestion: HAT CITY BLUES BAND will be at 59 Bank Street in New Milford for a 9:45 pm show.

*MIDNIGHT RODEO will be back at Hot Shots (Arturo’s Cantina) this weekend, performing today’s best country music on Saturday, November 27.

Rumor has it the mechanical bull may also be in the house.

*Gathering of the Vibes, the Northeast’s acclaimed music festival destination that takes over Bridgeport’s Seaside Park for an extended weekend each summer, will return for a four-day extravaganza of eclectic music, arts and community, July 21-24, 2011.

The 16th annual Gathering of the Vibes will kick off the holidays on Black Tie Dye Friday (November 26), when Early Bird and VIP tickets go on sale at 10 am for all gift-buyers and festival goers ready to start their summer vacation planning.

Early Bird camping packages will be available for a limited time at $150, a sizeable savings over the gate price, through www.GOVIBES.com. RV passes are also available on a first come basis. Travel packages for non-campers include Holiday Inn Bridgeport offering free shuttle service to and from the festival.

VIP packages include expedited exclusive entry, rock-star parking, shaded camping area along with catered meals, snacks and beverages. VIPers also have access to private bathrooms and hot showers all weekend long, along with the VIP Hospitality Rent right no the field.

This is all based on past festivals, of course. No names have been confirmed yet for the 2011 performances, but this is a festival that has brought everyone from THE ALLMAN BROTHERS, CROSBY STILLS & NASH, and FURTHUR with Phil Lesh & Bob Weir to new, virtually unknown artists.

*After months of rumors and anticipation (not to mention a few collaborative/mashup performances), NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK and BACKSTREET BOYS have confirmed a co-headlining tour, to be called KNOTB on One Stage and to kick off on Thursday, June 2, at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Tickets will be going on sale Saturday, December 11, at 10 am, priced at $75 and $95. They will be available through TicketMaster on Saturday, and then also through the casino’s box office 24 hours later if they don’t sell out first.

*While the above notice came in well ahead of the on-sale date, it came as no surprise to learn that after previewing the January 29 ROBERT PLANT show at The MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods in last week’s column — without being able to tell you when tickets would be on sale — an announcement came out shortly after we went to press, word came that tickets would be going on sale (this past) Monday morning.

Tickets run from $50 to $75 and are available through www.MGMatFoxwoods.com, by calling the casino’s box office at 866-646-0609, and through TicketMaster vendors.

*Redemption, in my eyes anyway, for The MGM Grand came in a second press release from the casino this week that gave us advance notice of the on-sale for THE JUDDS’s March 19 show at the same venue.

These tickets are also $50 to $75, they’ll be going on sale Thursday, December 9, and they will also be available through the same options as outlined above.

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

NOVEMBER 26 — Davy Jones at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville;

November 27 — Bob Dylan at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods; Midnight Rodeo at Arturo’s Cantina/Hot Shots Grille, Newtown;

November 28 — Wiped Out at My Place Restaurant, Newtown (4 pm show, rescheduled from November 21);

November 29 — Leon Russell at Infinity Music Hall.

DECEMBER 2 — Robert Randolph & The Family Band at The Ridgefield Playhouse; Gary Hoey at Infinity Music Hall, Norfolk;

December 3 — Red Horse (John Gorka, Eliza Gilkyson & Lucy Kaplansky) at The Ridgefield Playhouse; The Nerds at Toad’s Place, New Haven, Dropshift, Redefine and One Jack Move opening;

December 10 — The Jay Willie Band at Hot Shots Grille, Newtown; Dashboard Confessional at Toad’s Place (all ages); English Beat at Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne, Fairfield (also December 11);

December 11 — Cyndi Lauper at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Mashantucket; English Beat at Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne; Crash Test Dummies at Infinity Music Hall;

December 12 — Cyndi Lauper at The Palace, Waterbury, The Ferocious Few opening;

December 16 — Robin Gibb at Mohegan Sun Arena;

December 29 — Gregg Allman at The Stamford Palace;

December 30 — Dark Star Orchestra at Klein Memorial Auditorium, Bridgeport (also December 31);

December 31 — Lynyrd Skynyrd at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Mashantucket; Dark Star Orchestra at Klein Memorial Auditorium.