*Tickets went on sale last weekend for MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, with special guest RISE AGAINST, who will be at the Dodge Music Center on Saturday, February 24. Tickets for this all-indoors show are $30.25, whether you purchase a reserved seat or admission into the general admission pit, and are available from LiveNation.com, TicketMaster vendors and the box office at the Chevrolet Theatre in Wallingford (the Dodge Music Center’s box office is currently closed for the season).

*ONCE REMOVED has a pair of shows this weekend, beginning with a return to Ray Kelly’s Pub in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport on Friday night. The band will be starting around 10, and expects to begin appearing monthly under new owner Larry Cosgrove. There may even be a return engagement of the Once Removed duo one Wednesday night in the near future. The band’s weekly email made mention of that possibility this week, so I’ll let you know as soon as I hear anything further about that.

The following night the band will be over at Ceili’s Irish Pub in Guilford. They’re planning on starting earlier than usual, around 9 pm.

*It was with mixed feelings that I read the AP Wire Report this week about the latest update concerning Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New Haven.

I’ve always wanted to see a building explosion or implosion in person — I doubt that video fully captures the effect — but after seeing so many concerts at the coliseum over the years both as a fan of bands and then as a concert reviewer and photographer, it’s hard to imagine the coliseum finally being done in.

My first concert ever was at the coliseum. My parents took me and my sister to see John Denver when we were very little, and that was it – I was hooked on concerts. We thought it was so cool that in that big, huge building we ran into our neighbors, the Derrys, and even Beth, our baby-sitter.

The implosion of the six-level steel and concrete structure has been scheduled for Saturday, January 20, at 7:30 am. Crews are trucking in, according to the AP, “15,000 rented tires to absorb the impact and expanding structures that will protect underground facilities.” (Renting tires? I wonder what the industry rate for that is??!)

A firm called Demolition Dynamics of Franklin, Tenn., will conduct the implosion, which was actually supposed to happen back in September. Concerns over protecting sensitive utility lines created much of that delay, and added $1.8 million to the cost of the project. The current plans call for 50-foot piles of rubble to be left. Part of the building has already been dismantled and there is no interior stone, meaning the implosion should not create much dust.

Streets around the coliseum will be closed just before the implosion, so if you’re planning to get into the city to see this planned part of history (like me) be sure to get there early… and don’t use the coliseum’s parking garage.

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

JANUARY 12 — The Wailers at The Webster Theater, Hartford (all ages); Charisma at Molly Darcy Pub, Danbury; Opus’ Birthday Bash at Toad’s Place, New Haven, 100 Demons, DBW, Since The Flood, Deadwait and No Less Than Everything opening (all ages); Once Removed at Ray Kelly’s Pub, Bridgeport (Black Rock section);

January 13 — Mates of State at Toad’s Place, Oxford Collapse and Diamond J & The Rough opening (all ages); Once Removed at Ceili’s Irish Pub, Guilford;

January 14 — MLK Funkfest at Toad’s Place, Rearview opening;

January 18 — Seth Adams at Toad’s Place, Mean Carlene opening (all ages);

January 19 — Jamie Foxx and Fantasia at Mohegan Sun Arena; Unforgettable Fire at Toad’s Place, Ink and The Jaws opening;

January 20 — Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band at Mohegan Sun Arena; Johnny Winter at Toad’s Place, Remember September and The Bonesmen opening;

January 25 — Overkill at The Webster Theater, Metal Church opening (all ages);

January 26 — Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den (also January 27);

January 27 — Brooks & Dunn at Mohegan Sun Arena; Rock Star Supernova with The Panic Channel at The Chevrolet Theatre, Wallingford; Roomful of Blues at The Webster Theater (all ages); Hat City Blues Band at Redding Roadhouse; Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den.