*CHARISMA, featuring Newtown residents Peter Obre, Kathy Buda and Bob Bonvini, will be at 59 Bank Street in New Milford on Friday, September 3. Showtime is 10 pm.

The following night the band will be returning to The Red Door in Watertown (675 Main Street; telephone 860-945-6688) for a show starting at 9:30, and later in the month the group will be at Carl Anthony’s Trattoria in Monroe. That show also begins at 9:30 and is set for Friday, September 24.

*JEWEL will be performing a benefit concert on Friday, September 24, at Ives Concert Park in Danbury. Tickets went on sale August 23 for this show; I learned of its existence last Friday, however, well past last week’s deadline.

Tickets for the lawn area are $30 for adults, and $15 for children. (Student, senior and group discounts are usually available, and lawn seating for ages 2 and under is usually free, but there may be a policy change for this show because of its fundraiser status. Contact the box office if you’re considering any of these options.)

Reserved seating in the first six rows is $150 per ticket, and tickets for the next eight rows are $75. Remaining reserved seats are $55 each.

Tickets for Ives Concert Park shows are available through any TicketMaster vendor, or from the concert park’s box office. The box office is on WCSU’s westside campus (as is the concert park), in the Ancell Business School Room 200. Hours are Monday through Friday between 9 am and 4 pm, and from 9 am to noon on the morning of a performance. Tickets are also sold at the gate on the day of a show, with a $3 surcharge.

Please note that tickets sold on the day of a show are on a cash only basis. For details call 837-9226.

The concert’s proceeds will be divided between The Charles Ives Center for the Arts, Inc., and The Cancer Cares Foundation.

*It’s hard to believe it’s almost time for the Milford Oyster Festival already – the 27th annual weekend party of many things crustacean. CHEAP TRICK, WILSON PICKETT and THE ROBERT CRAY BAND will be headlining, respectively, on the three nights of this year’s big event, September 10-12 at Veterans Park in Norwalk.

40 Foot Ringo will be opening for Cheap Trick on Friday; 40 Foot will start around 7:30, with Cheap Trick following at 9.

THE AVERAGE WHITE BAND will be opening for Wilson Picket on Saturday, also at 7:30 and 9 respectively.

And Sunday’s Main Stage events will feature the guitarist JOHNNY A. at 5:30, and The Robert Cray Band at 7.

In addition to the Main Stage headliners there will be almost 50 additional acts of all kinds for nearly continuous entertainment during the run of the weekend. And like the myriad music offerings, the festival is about a lot more than oysters: There will be food booths offering items to appeal to all tastes, The Norwalk Seaport Association’s 2004 Art & Photography Exhibition, skydivers touching down on Saturday and Sunday at 3, 200 juried artists and crafters, vendors, non-profit information booths, and free parking in six nearly locations (with shuttle service aplenty; there will not be any on-site parking).

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 CONCERTS

AUGUST 27 — Sol Dog at The Avenue Café, Black Rock; The Dave Brubeck Quartet at WCSU’s Ives Concert Hall, Danbury; Eight To The Bar at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café, Hartford; Old School Revue at Georgetown Saloon; Hat City Blues Band at Kent Firemen’s Fair;

August 28 — Cher at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville; The Nelsons at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den (also August 29); Hot Rod Circuit at Toad’s Place, New haven, Armor For Sleep and Receiving End Of Sirens opening (all ages); Party Boss at Georgetown Saloon; The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury;

August 29 — The Nelsons at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

August 31 — Journey at the Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford; The Serious Times Tour at Toad’s Place featuring Luciano, Mikey General, Dean Fraser and Jah Messenjah Band (all ages).

 

SEPTEMBER 1 — Norah Jones at the Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford (moved from The Meadows, Hartford, call if you have tickets for the original location); Journey at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville; Hootie & The Blowfish at Toad’s Place, New Haven, Shurman opening (all ages);

September 3 — The Nerds at Toad’s Place; Charisma at 59 Bank Street, New Milford;

September 4 — Charisma at The Red Door, Watertown;

September 8 — Melissa Ferrick at Toad’s Place (all ages);

September 9 — Buddy Guy at Toad’s Place, The Manchurians opening (all ages);

September 10 — Heart at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theatre, Ledyard; Johnny Winter featuring James Montgomery at Toad’s Place (all ages); Warrant at The Webster Theatre, Hartford; Cheap Trick at Milford Oyster Festival, Norwalk, 40 Foot Ringo opening;

September 11 — Greg Brown at The Beardsley Zoo, Bridgeport; Gloria Estefan at Mohegan Sun Arena; Wilson Pickett at Milford Oyster Festival, The Average White Band opening;

September 12 — Toby Keith at The Meadows; Cowboy Junkies at Toad’s Place (all ages); The Brubeck Brothers Quartet at Weir Farm National Historic Site, Wilton; An Evening with Cowboy Junkies at Toad’s Place (all ages); Robert Cray Band at Milford Oyster Festival, Johnny A. opening.