By John Voket

Shannon is taking a well-deserved break this week and has again entrusted me to keep you up to speed on some musical happenings in the region. So we’ll begin my guest appearance On The Road with a little something to bark about, actually to “Park & Bark” about!

AMERICAN MORTAR, an original rock band, will be playing at the Blue Z Coffeehouse, 127 South Main Street (Route 25), on Friday, July 16, from 7 to 9 pm. This benefit for the Town of Newtown Park and Bark will help raise funds to build a special place where dogs and their human partners can roam free to meet other human and canine counterparts. 

Dogs are welcome (on leashes outside the patio area, of course, at the Blue Z) as they always love our music, except be careful because the music tends to get them excited and may arouse the animal in them.  They also love to dance to our music. 

Suggested donation is $5 but any amount to benefit the dogs and their sense of freedom and need for friends would be welcomed.  More would be appreciated greatly. The band features Susan Washburn on lead vocals, Mark Janos on lead guitar, Brad Greene on drums, and Chris Zwart on bass.

For samples of some of American Mortar’s original music, not their cover tunes, go to www.myspace.com/amortar. 

Our friends at The Ridgefield Playhouse will be getting very progressive with part of their late summer and early fall offerings as they feature the original members of ASIA including former YES keyboardist Geoff Downes and guitarist Steve Howe. Then former YES lead singer and co-founder JON ANDERSON hits the intimate RPH stage in a solo outing August 29.

One of the most wide smiling and talented blues men on the road today, the comparatively young pedal-steel player ROBERT RANDOLPH brings his FAMILY BAND to Ridgefield on September 8. Sing along to “American Pie” and the lovely ballad “Vincent (Starry Starry Night)” as DON McLEAN arrives October 8, or groove to the “Mexicali”-flavored rock of LOS LONELY BOYS October 21.

More blues are on tap with BUDDY GUY October 24; LOS LOBOS hit the RPH stage November 12, and just in time for “a Thanksgiving dinner that wouldn’t be beat,” ARLO GUTHRIE comes to the Playhouse November 21. Maybe he’ll even come out after his set and sign a few of those “8 by 10 color glossy photographs...” he’s always singing about!

The Los Angeles-based alternative rock band MAROON 5 is touring in support of its third studio album, Hands All Over. The record, which is set for release September 21 on A&M/Octone, was produced by Robert John “Mutt” Lange, who has worked with AC/DC, Def Leppard, and The Cars.

Select dates go on sale to the general public July 10 at 10 am local time. Guster and Ry Cuming will be on board as the opening acts.

Hands All Over is the follow-up to 2007’s It Won’t Be Soon Before Long and the band’s debut, 2002’s Songs About Jane. Maroon 5 has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, with the releases having gone gold and platinum in over 35 countries around the world.

If you were planning to wrap up your holiday weekend with a trip to Vermont to see the latest (and greatest) reconfiguration of The Grateful Dead — FURTHUR — prepare to change direction. Fearing hordes of ticketless fans descending upon their community, the town of Shelburne has canceled a Furthur concert that was scheduled for July 5 because of an inadequate security plan.

Furthur, which features former Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh and guitarist Bob Weir, will play The Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, Penn., on July 5 instead.

Or you can just wait to see them at Bridgeport’s Seaside Park as the Friday night July 30 headliners at The Gathering of the Vibes. In related news, stay tuned for my interview with Grateful Dead drummers Billy Kreutzmann and Mickey Hart ahead of their Vibes appearance as The Rhythm Devils in an upcoming edition of The Newtown Bee.

UPCOMING SHOWS:

July 2 — Michael Bublé at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville (also July 3 & 4); Mellow Down Easy at the City Ale House, Danbury; Gallagher at Infinity Hall, Norfolk; Albert Cummings Blues, Toad’s Place, New Haven; Old School at Proud Mary’s, Newtown;

July 3 — Man Overboard at Streets, Danbury; Badfish — Tribute to Sublime at Toad’s Place, New Haven;

July 6 — Sting with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville; Ben Vereen in the “Summerstage Series: Broadway Legends” at Kingswood Oxford School, West Hartford (also July 7 & 8);

July 7 — Chicago and The Doobie Brothers at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville;

July 8 — Wang Chung, free show at the Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville; “Alive At Five” concert series featuring Rusted Root with Nick Howard at Columbus Park, Stamford; Huey Lewis And The News at the Levitt Pavilion, Westport; Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk at Infinity Hall, Norfolk; The Adults host Open Mic at the One-Eyed Pig, Newtown;

 July 9 — Jack Johnson at The Comcast Theatre, Hartford, with G Love and ALO opening; Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue at Fairfield Theatre Company; TOTALLY SKA-RIFFIC featuring Suburban Monkies, The Rudeness, Brunt Of It, Burning Natives, and Skasome Society at the Webster Underground, Hartford; Shakedown at Toad’s Place, New Haven

July 10 — Lynyrd Skynyrd at The Comcast Theatre, with Bret Michaels and .38 Special; Matt “Guitar” Murphy & The Shaboo All Stars at The Palace, Danbury, Lucy Bonilla opening (also, free screening of The Blues Brothers at 3); Shawn Colvin with Meg Hutchinson at Infinity Hall, Norfolk;

July 11 — Vans Warped Tour 2010 at The Comcast Theatre.