*Booth Library’s Summer Concert Series begins Friday, June 15, with Newtown welcoming Connecticut State Troubadour KEVIN BRIODY. I love this guy! He’s talented, funny, an enjoyable person to talk with, and a great story-teller. A Ridgefield resident, Mr Briody is tooling around the state quite a bit these days thanks to his appointment as the official state troubadour, a two-year term he began in January. The majority of his performances include songs from his ten-song original collection called When No One’s Watching, released in July 1999. When we spoke in February for a feature article that subsequently ran in The Bee, Mr Briody was well underway in producing the follow-up to that delicious CD.

Mr Briody has long been recognized as an accomplished songwriter. It was only about two years ago that he decided to change the course of his career to become more of a performer of his own songs rather than selling them for interpretation by others. If Kevin Briody’s name is familiar it’s because he has been performing in a growing number of local rooms over the past two years, including the Ives Center for the Performing Arts in Danbury and Towne Crier Café in Pawling, N.Y. He was also one of the performers at the 2000 CityCenter First Night Danbury and has been playing the local coffee house circuit steadily since the beginning of the year.

Like any good folk musician, Mr Briody definitely tells stories with his songs. “About 90 percent of my work is autobiographical,” he said in February. “The songs I choose to write usually have a good part of me in them. There is usually a lot of realness in a song, and just a little fiction as well.”

Showtime is 6 pm at the library’s back lawn. These concerts usually begin at 7, but next weekend’s show is special in that it will have an opening set performed by Newtown Middle School student and guitarist ERIK BAGGER.

Bring blankets and low lawn chairs if possible (as soon as a few people start setting up the regular lawn chairs, it ruins the view for everyone stuck behind them; at least the lower-setting chairs provide a better performer-viewing opportunity). Picnic dinners are also welcome, just bring along your own waste bag, too. Admission is free and the performance is suitable for all ages.

Next month the series continues with MARY SIPPIN & THE DIAMOND SPURS on July 13, and then concludes on August 17 with a show by RIVER CITY SLIM AND THE ZYDECO HOGS. The library is at 25 Main Street in Newtown, just down the hill from the flagpole, and there is plenty of parking available behind the library building.

*I mentioned some but missed a few of the dates MOPPIN’ SAUCE has set up now that we head into the summer months when I talked about the band in last week’s column. In addition to being at Shenanigan’s in South Norwalk tonight, Skybox Café in Stamford tomorrow, and then Amberjacks in South Norwalk next Friday (June 15), the band also has gigs scheduled for Saturday, July 7 at The Lilylake Inn in Wolcott, July 14 at Melissa’s in Naugatuck, and then a return to The Lilylake on Saturday, August 25. All shows start around 10 pm.

After more than five years in existence, the eight-piece funk and disco band MOPPIN’ SAUCE is still going strong. The band’s current line-up includes the horn section of Cas Stevens on sax and Ed Zang on trombone, along with guitarist Mike Connolly, bass player Tim Silloway, drummer Bob Henderson, keyboardist Roy Song, vocalist Kathy Buda, and Glenn Dean on percussion and vocals. The band has a Web site at www.moppinsauce.com.

*The Meadows Music Theatre announced this week that two weeks after going on sale the Saturday, August 4 concert by DAVE MATTHEWS BAND has completely sold out. Tickets are still available, however, for the August 3 date at $35 for the lawn and $50 for the pavilion. For info, visit www.ctnow.com, call 203-265-1501, visit the Meadows box office in Hartford, or visit any of the venue’s ticket outlets at any Strawberries, LaSalle and Coconuts music stores.

Also while speaking of the Meadows, tickets for the STEVIE NICKS concert on Friday, July 13, will finally be going on sale for the Hartford concert location this weekend. Tickets are $25.50 for the lawn, $52.50 and $72.50 for the pavilion, and will be available as of 10 am Saturday, June 9, at the locations mentioned in the previous paragraph. SHERYL CROW and JEFFREY GAINES will each have opening sets.

A few shows are also being put on the boards Saturday morning as available for the ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford. “A Walk Down Abbey Road: A Beatles Tribute,” a show that features ALAN PARSONS, ANN WILSON, TODD RUNDGREN and JOHN ENTWISTLE and arrives in Connecticut on Sunday, July 22, will have tickets available for $28.50 to $48.50 apiece. Each musician will perform some of their own songs and then collect onstage for a set of BEATLES music.

HUEY LEWIS & THE NEWS, who has a show scheduled for Friday, August 3, will have tickets available for $29.50 TO $49.50; JETHRO TULL, which returns on Thursday, August 16, will have tickets going for $33 to $43; tickets for AARON CARTER AND THE A*TEENS, August 23, will be $28.50 to $38.50; and tickets for ALABAMA, on Sunday, September 9, will run you anywhere from $31.50 to $51.50.

Until next week, I’ll be seeing you... on the road. See you next week.

Questions and comments should be sent to Shannon Hicks, c/o Bee Publishing Co., 5 Church Hill Road, Newtown 06470, or shannon@thebee.com; or call The Bee office at 426-3141.

Shows listed on the calendar at club locations are for ages 21 and over unless specified.

UPCOMING CONCERTS

JUNE 8 — Max Creek at Toad’s Place, New Haven (all ages); Walter Trout & The Free Radicals at Black-Eyed Sally’s, Hartford; Super Soul Jam featuring The Stylistics, Delfonics, Dramatics, The Chi-Lites, Harold Melvin’s Blue Notes, Major Harris, and Cuba Gooding Sr at The Palace Theatre, New Haven; Moppin’ Sauce at Shennanigans, South Norwalk; The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; Dirtstar, Sugarfist and Altitude at Empress Ballroom, Danbury (all ages);

June 9 — Our Lady Peace at The Webster Theatre, Hartford, American Hi-Fi opening; Lara Herscovitch and The Lost Dogs at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport (two separate performers, the first is folk and Spanish music performer, second is comedy improv group; show is monthly WPKN Benefit); Moppin’ Sauce at Skybox Café, Fairfield; The Benjamins at Tuxedo Junction; Throne with Grey Cell Green and Sybil at Empress Ballroom (all ages); Psychedelic Breakfast at Our Place Café, Danbury;

June 10 — Volunteer Jam 2001 at Meadows Music Centre, Hartford, featuring Charlie Daniels Band, .38 Special, Dickey Betts, et al; The Orange, Patient 957, Thank You Alfred and Slackjaw at Empress Ballroom; Sol Dog at The Avenue Café, Black Rock;

June 12 — Fishbone at Toad’s Place (all ages), AKP and Slackjaw opening;

June 15 — Kevin Briody at C.H. Booth Library, Newtown (Summer Concert Series, free, 6 pm), Erik Bagger opening; The Jason Bonham Band at The Webster Theater, with Sterves of Neal, Third Rail and Healing Sixes (featuring Jason Bonham); Glam Metal Jam with Poison, Warrant, Quiet Riot and Enuff Znuff at Meadows Music Centre; Anthony Gomes at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Moppin’ Sauce at Amberjacks, South Norwalk; Roy Bookbinder at Acoustic Café, Tim Regan opening; The Nerds at Tuxedo Junction; Carpe Diem, The Limit and Hour Zero at Empress Ballroom;

June 16 — Richard Lloyd at Tune Inn, New Haven; Curtis Salgado at Black-Eyed Sally’s; The Blackstones at Tuxedo Junction; Intensify, Minus and Megahertz at Players Café’

June 20 — Pantera at New Haven Coliseum with Slayer, Static-X, Skrape and Morbid Angel all opening; CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport;

June 21 — Anthony Gomes at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Big In Japan, Junction 18 and Quickstep Maneuver at Empress Ballroom;

June 22 — Rival Schools at Toad’s Place; Joe Rock Star at Tuxedo Junction; Unlucky Few, Victims of Society, Clockseed, Statement of Purpose and Altitude at Empress Ballroom (all ages);

June 23 — Lynyrd Skynyrd at Meadows Music Centre, Deep Purple and Ted Nugent opening;

The Pilfers at Tune Inn; Bill Perry at Acoustic Café; Poppa Squat at Tuxedo Junction; Lorenji Shift, Slackhjaw, Prize Fighter and Just For Today at Empress Ballroom (all ages); Buzzhound, Smoke the Prophet and Electric Mayhem at Players Café;

June 24 — Robert Cray at New Haven’s International Festival of Arts & Ideas, Third World opening;

June 28 — Backstreet Boys at Meadows Music Centre, Shaggy and Krystal opening (separate sets);

June 29 — Backstreet Boys at The Meadows, Shaggy and Krystal opening (separate sets); Darik & The Funbags at Tuxedo Junction; Three Finger Demon, Fourth Corpse, Justice League and Altitude at Empress Ballroom; Sol Dog at The Classic Rock Brew Pub, Danbury.

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June 30 — Bill Perry at Black-Eyed Sally’s; The Wallbangers at Tuxedo Junction; Another Dark Day and S.A.T.O. at Players Cafe.

JULY 1 — Dido at Meadows Music Centre, Hartford, Travis opening;

July 3 — Echo & The Bunnymen at Toad’s Place, New Haven;

July 5 — Deep Banana Blackout at Toad’s Place (all ages);

July 6 — The Go-Go’s at Foxwoods Casino, Ledyard;

July 7 — Journey at Meadows Music Centre with John Waite and Peter Frampton;

July 8 — The Go-Go’s at Ives Concert Park, Danbury;

July 13 — Mary Sippin & The Diamond Spurs at C.H. Booth Library, Newtown (Summer Concert Series, free, 7 pm); Stevie Nicks at ctnow.com Meadows Music Center, Sheryl Crow and Jeffrey Gaines opening; Larry Garner at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café, Hartford;

July 14 — Paul Simon with Brian Wilson at ctnow.com Meadows Music Centre; “Walk Down Abbey Road” featuring Todd Rundgren, Ann Wilson, Alan Parsons and John Entwistle at Mohegan Sun; Jerry Cantrell at The Webster Theater (rescheduled from May);

July 17 — MTV’s TRL Tour featuring Destiny’s Child at ctnow.com Meadows Music Theatre; The Wallflowers at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theater, Uncasville;

July 18 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport; American Hi-Fi, Everclear, Flip and The Mayfield Four at The Webster Theater, Hartford; Dennis Quaid & The Sharks at Foxwoods’ Fox Theater;

July 19 — Kip Winger at Toad’s Place;

July 20 — The Barenaked Ladies and Vertical Horizon at Meadows Music Centre, Action Figure Party and Sarah Harmer opening; 68 Comeback Special at Mohegan Sun Casino (trio led by Brian Setzer); Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

July 21 — Phil Lesh & Friends and Ratdog with Bob Weir (co-headlining) at Meadows Music Centre (tickets on sale May 5); The Doobie Brothers at Ives Concert Park, Danbury;

July 22 — “Walk Down Abbey Road” featuring Todd Rundgren, Ann Wilson, Alan Parsons and John Entwistle at Oakdale Theatre;

July 24 — The Smithereens at Mohegan Sun Casino;

July 25 — Mystikal, Ginuwine, Jahem, Jagged Edge and Public Announcement at New Haven Coliseum (no ticket info yet);

July 26 — Johnny Rawls at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Chicago at Foxwoods’ Fox Theater;

July 27 — Chicago at the Oakdale Theatre;

July 28 — Kenny Wayne Shepherd at Mohegan Sun Casino.

AUGUST 1 —Pat Benatar at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge, Uncasville (free show);

August 2 —Survivor at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show); Ringo Starr’s All-Starr Band at Mohegan Sun Casino;

August 3 —Dave Matthews Band at ctnow.com Meadows Music Centre, Hartford, Ben Kweller opening; Michael Burks at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café; Asia at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show); Huey Lewis & The News at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre;

August 4 —(SOLD OUT) Dave Matthews Band at ctnow.com Meadows Music Centre, Ben Kweller opening;

August 5 — OzzFest 2001 at Meadows Music Centre, featuring (Main Stage performers) Black Sabbath, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Crazytown, (Second Stage performers) Mudvayne, Cold, Taproot, Union Underground, Systematic, Nonpoint, American Head Charge, Drowning Pool, Pure Rubbish, Hatebreed, Beautiful Creatures, Black Label Society, Otep, Godhead, Boy Hits Car, et al;

August 6 — Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show);

August 9 — Eddie Money at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show);

August 10 — Rod Stewart at Meadows Music Centre; The Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

August 11 — Janet Jackson at the Hartford Civic Center (date changed from August 14, tickets with original date will be honored);

August 12 — Bela Fleck & The Flecktones at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford, Keb’ Mo’ opening (no tickets yet);

August 16 — Jethro Tull at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre; Starship at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show);

August 17 — River City Slim and The Zydeco Hogs at C.H. Booth Library, Newtown (Summer Concert Series, free, 7 pm); The Beach Boys at Ives Concert Park, Danbury;

August 18 — matchbox twenty at Meadows Music Centre, Train opening;

August 20 — Crosby, Stills & Nash at Meadows Music Centre (no ticket info yet);

August 21 — Southside Johnny at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show);

August 22 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport; David Fosters & The Mehegan Sun All-Stars at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show);

August 23 — Godsmack and The Deftones (co-headlining) at Meadows Music Centre, Puddle of Mudd opening; Aaron Carter at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre, The A*Teens and Leslie Carter opening; Joan Jett at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show);

August 24 — Nils Lofgren at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show);

August 26 — The Allman Brothers Band at Meadows Music Centre, Susan Tedeschi opening;

August 29 — The B.B. King Blues Festival at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre, with King, Buddy Guy, John Hiatt and Tommy Castro; Kansas at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show);

August 30 — The B.B. King Blues Festival at Mohegan Sun Casino;

August 31 — Johnny Rawls at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Styx at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theater, Uncasville.

SEPTEMBER 1 —The Yes Symphonic Tour at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford;

September 3 — The Yes Symphonic Tour at Ives Concert Park, Danbury;

September 7 — REO Speedwagon at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theater, Uncasville;

September 9 — Alabama at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre;

September 12 — John Mellencamp at Meadows Music Centre, Hartford, The Wallflowers opening;

September 13 — Anthony Gomes at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café, Hartford;

September 14 — Anthony Gomes at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

September 19 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport.

OCTOBER 13 —America at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville;

October 24 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport.

NOVEMBER 3 —Tower of Power at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville;

November 21 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport.

DECEMBER 19 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport.