*Mocha Coffee House in Sandy Hook will host a co-headlining show to open the weekend this Friday night.

First up will be progressive rock band MILE MARKER 0 (that’s a zero, not an O), who formed in 2003 and has been “steadily touring and writing” since that time. Band members are Dave Alley on vocals, John Tuohy on guitar, Mark Focarile on keyboards, Tim Rykoski on bass, and Doug Alley on drums.

MMZ will have the opening set on January 8, and it looks like they’ll be starting early, at 7. Following that, probably around 8 (considering Mocha’s website has the evening listed as running from 7 to 9 pm), will be a set by FORGET PARIS, another alt-rock band. The four-piece band has been performing since 2005, calls Naugatuck their home base and, “mixing different elements of pop and alternative genres, this quartet lets the music do the talking,” or so I’m told.

Saturday at Mocha will feature acoustic guitar by ANDREW HAAS, also running from 7 to 9.

And while I don’t have too many details about their performance styles, I can tell you that next weekend will feature performances by MARK BARDEN & KATHLEEN PEMBLE (“jazz guitar” is the only note I have about that right now) on Friday, January 15, and then ADAM CALDERONE on Saturday night.

Also, the next monthly acoustic jam hosted by JULIE SOREK will return to 3 Glen Road on Thursday, January 21. Running from 7 to 9:30 pm, the event is open to anyone who would like to join in with traditional Celtic, English, Appalachian and southern folk tunes, or just listen in.

*Apologies BON JOVI fans. Somehow I missed the announcement that JBJ and crew will be performing two shows at Mohegan Sun Arena a few months down the road.

Tickets are already on sale (running from $125 to $195 apiece!) for shows on Friday and Saturday, March 26-27, through TicketMaster and the casino.

*WILCO will be at The Bushnell in Hartford on Friday, April 9, and tickets go on sale this morning, priced at $35 in advance or $37 the night of the show. Visit WilcoWorld.net or bushnell.org to purchase tickets online, charge by phone at 860-987-5900, or visit The Bushnell’s box office at 166 Capitol Avenue in Hartford.

*Tickets will be going on sale next Friday (the 15th) through LiveNation.com for a TREY ANASTASIO show that was just announced this week for the Oakdale Theatre. All seats are $39.50 for the show, which will be Saturday, February 13, in Wallingford.

Until next week, I’ll be seeing you… on the road, where I will continue to ponder why I saw not just one but two people who felt the need to go jogging last Sunday in the middle of that all-day snow. I’m all for health and fitness, mind you, but how smart is it to be running on the sides of roads (and one of them was the very heavily traveled Berkshire Road!) when vehicles are having a hard time navigating on their own, never mind watching for people running along on the sides of them??!

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

JANUARY 8 — Mile Marker 0 and Forget Paris at Mocha Coffee House, Sandy Hook; Brooks William at Redding Community Center (Lyrics Coffeehouse series), Redding; Pink Baby at The Georgetown Saloon, Redding;

January 9 — Andrew Haas at Mocha Coffee House; Soul Circus at The Georgetown Saloon; Johnny Winter at Toad’s Place, New Haven (CD release party); Little Feat at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville;

January 12 — Gregg Allman at The Ridgefield Playhouse (also January 13);

January 13 — Gregg Allman at The Ridgefield Playhouse;

January 14 — JD Souther at Fairfield Theatre Company, Fairfield;

January 15 — Mark Borden & Kathleen Pemble at Mocha Coffee House; Rascal Flatts at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Darius Rucker opening (also January 16); Mariah Carey at The MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods, Mashantucket (also January 16); The Walter Lewis Trio at The Georgetown Saloon;

January 16 — Adam Calderone at Mocha Coffee House; Bo Bice at Infinity Music Hall, Norfolk (acoustic show); Rascal Flatts at Mohegan Sun Arena, Darius Rucker opening; Sister Funk at The Georgetown Saloon; Mariah Carey at The MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods

January 17 — Rakim at Toad’s Place, Rhymefest, They Walk on Water and Phenomeno opening (tickets from original November date will be honored);

January 18 — Lady Gaga at Mohegan Sun Arena, Kid Cudi and Jason Derulo opening;

January 20 — Grace Potter & the Nocturnals at Infinity Music Hall;

January 21 — Julie Sorek’s open acoustic jam at Mocha Coffee House (monthly even, join to perform or listen);

January 22 — The Bernadettes at The Georgetown Saloon;

January 23 — The Marshall Tucker Band at The Ridgefield Playhouse; Old School Revue at The Georgetown Saloon;

January 28 — bluegrass & beer featuring Hoe at The Acoustic Café, Bridgeport;

January 29 — Blues Patrol at The Georgetown Saloon; JD Souther at Infinity Music Hall; Jeff Pitchell & Texas Flood at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues, Hartford; Chuck Wicks at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

January 30 — Smokehouse at The Georgetown Saloon; Marshall Crenshaw at Infinity Music Hall.

FEBRUARY 4 — Marc Cohn at Quick Center/Fairfield University; David Sanborn at The Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield;

February 5 — Aaron Lewis at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville; Bob Franke at Redding Community Center (Lyrics Coffeehouse series), Redding; Max Creek at Infinity Music Hall, Norfolk;

February 9 — Slayer and Megadeth at the Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford, Testament opening;

February 11 — Buckwheat Zydeco at Infinity Music Hall; Marky Ramone’s Blitzkrieg at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville;

February 12 — Phil Vassar at The Ridgefield Playhouse; Greg Brown at Infinity Music Hall; Steve Winwood at The MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods, Mashantucket;

February 13 — Kid Rock at Mohegan Sun Arena; River City Slim & The Zydeco Hogs at Infinity Music Hall; Dave Davies at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Trey Anastasio at the Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford;

February 14 — The Neville Brothers at The Ridgefield Playhouse with Dr John and Lower 911; B.B. King & Buddy Guy at The MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods; John Mayall at Infinity Music Hall;

February 18 — George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic at Toad’s Place, New Haven; Sophie B. Hawkins at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

February 19 — Lucy Kaplansky and Richard Shindell at Quick Center/Fairfield University; John Mayer at Mohegan Sun Arena, Michael Franti and Spearhead opening; Alien Ant Farm at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

February 20 — Hot 8 Brass Band at The Ridgefield Playhouse; Buddy Jewell at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

February 24 — New Found Glory at The Webster, Hartford,

February 25 — Flogging Molly at The Webster, Saves The Day and Hello Goodbye opening; Cyril Neville at Fairfield Theatre Company; Dennis DeYoung at The Ridgefield Playhouse;

February 26 — Phil Lesh and Bob Weir at Mohegan Sun Arena; Bobby McFerrin at The Ridgefield Playhouse; Cyril Neville at Infinity Music Hall; John Cafferty and The Beaver Brown Band at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

February 27 — The Black Eyed Peas at Mohegan Sun Arena; The Verve Pipe at Infinity Music Hall (note: billed as “alternative takes, an acoustic evening”); Soul Asylum at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

February 28 — The Verve Pipe at Infinity Music Hall (note: billed as “alternative takes, an acoustic evening”).