*The 3rd Annual Connecticut Acoustic Blues Challenge kicks off this weekend, with the first of three showcases scheduled for Sunday, October 8, at Hungry Tiger Café in Manchester (120 Charter Oak Street; telephone 860-649-1195),

The next two performances are scheduled for October 15 and 29, also at Hungry Tiger Café, and all will start at 7 pm.

Until last year the event had been held in one night, but the number of participants has doubled since its inception in 2004. A panel of  judges including musicians, blues music radio DJs and blues fans will award each participant a score of one to ten in the categories of Blues Content, Talent, Originality, and Stage Presence. These criteria are used at The Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge (IBC).

Participants this year are as follows: October 8 – Pete Schieps, Lisa Rich, Mike Bloomer, Eran Troy Danner, DC Jones, and DW Ditty & Kenny Mack; and then October 15 – The Boundarymen, JD Bone, Chris D’Amato, Walter Lewis, JSwine, and Vince Howland.

The two highest scoring acts each night will return on October 29 for a final competition.

The winner of this event will be Connecticut’s representative to participate in the Acoustic Division of The 2007 IBC, sponsored by the Blues Foundation in Memphis on February 1-3.

*Former Connecticut resident MEAT LOAF will return to Mohegan Sun Arena for the third time in recent years, performing songs off Bat Out of Hell III: The Monster Is Loose and favorite hits, on Sunday, November 12. Tickets will be on sale Friday, October 6, at 10 am through TicketMaster vendors; and then will be available at Mohegan Sun’s box office the following morning.

Tickets are all $39.50.

*Going on sale Saturday morning will be tickets for MONTGOMERY GENTRY, who will be in town along with LITTLE BIG TOWN and THE WRECKERS (former pop singer MICHELLE BRANCH and her friend and back-up singer JESSICA HARP) on Friday, November 17.

Tickets are $35 and $45 and will be available Saturday through TicketMaster vendors beginning at 10, and also through Mohegan’s box office starting Sunday.

*ZOX will be opening for FLOGGING MOLLY at Toad’s Place next week. The October 11 show in New Haven, which will also feature opening sets by THE WHITEST KIDS YOU KNOW and BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH, will be one of the final shows with opening duties for Zox before they head out on a headlining tour which will bring them back to Connecticut next month.

*My apologies for missing this last week: RUBEN STUDDARD will be at Klein Memorial Auditorium in Bridgeport on Tuesday, November 7, and tickets are already available. Tickets went on sale last Saturday, in fact, priced at $31 and $41; call 203-345-4800 extension 150 (The Klein’s box office) or visit TheKlein.org to purchase tickets.

There will be an opening act.

Two nights prior to the Bridgeport show, Studdard will also be headlining at The Cabaret Theatre at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville. Tickets for the November 5 show are $50 and also available now; contact any TicketMaster vendor or visit the cabaret’s box office in person.

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 SHOWS

OCTOBER 6 — The Orchestral Jethro Tull featuring Ian Anderson at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theatre, Ledyard; Eric Clapton at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Robert Cray Band opening (also October 7); The James Montgomery Band featuring James Cotton at FTC Stage One, Fairfield;

October 7 — Eric Clapton at Mohegan Sun Arena, Robert Cray Band opening (also Oct 6); New Found Glory at Toad’s Place, New Haven, Early November, Cartel and Limbeck opening (all ages); “Banding Together – Music of the 1960s: Miles Davis to Woodstock” at FTC Stage One, featuring Joe Bouchard, The Spencer Davis Group, Original Max & Ira Stone, Chris Coogan, Butch Taylor, et al (a fundraiser for Habitat For Humanity); Marc Cohn at Westport Country Playhouse;

October 8 — Vanilla Fudge at Toad’s Place;

October 9 — James Blunt at The Chevrolet Theatre, Wallingford; Michael Ian Black at Toad’s Place, Michael Showalter opening (all ages);

October 10 — KT Tunstall at Toad’s Place, Kevin Devine opening (all ages);

October 11 — Flogging Molly at Toad’s Place, Zox, The Whitest Kids You Know and Bedouin Soundclash opening (all ages);

October 13 — Average White Band at Toad’s Place, Rearview opening; Robin Trower at The Webster Theater (21 and over unless with adult);

October 14 — Violent Femmes at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Eileen Ivers & Immigrant Soul at FTC Stage One; The Eagles of Death Metal at Toad’s Place (all ages);

October 15 — Average White Band at Ridgefield Playhouse; DMX at Toad’s Place;

October 16 — Aaron Neville & His Quintet featuring Charles Neville at Mohegan Sun’s Cabaret Theatre (also Oct 17); Good Charlotte at The Webster Theater (all ages)

October 17 — Little Steven’s Underground Garage Band at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theatre; Aaron Neville & His Quintet featuring Charles Neville at Mohegan Sun’s Cabaret Theatre.

October 18 — The Cheetah Girls at Hartford Civic Center, Vanessa Anne Hudgens opening; Kansas at Ridgefield Playhouse; Brett Michaels at The Webster Theater, Secret Smile and Vengeance opening (all ages);

October 19 — Godsmack at Mohegan Sun Arena, Breaking Benjamin opening;

October 20 — Keith Urban at Mohegan Sun Arena; The Kevin Costner Band at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Marty Balin and Slick Aguilar at FTC Stage One, Scot Sax opening; The Nerds at Toad’s Place, The Radiocats and Makel opening.