*Hot Shots II in Newtown is doing something pretty cool next month. On February 16 the sports bar will host the CONNECTICUT FIREFIGHTERS’ PIPE BAND — a group of 23 or so pipers and a half-dozen drummers — who will help Hot Shots launch its 30-Day Countdown To St Patrick’s Day.

In the meantime Hot Shots will continue to present live music every Friday and Saturday, with TURN STYLES scheduled for this Friday night and THE SAINTS on Saturday; BUMP AND RUN on February 2; THE J&B 2000, February 3; TURN STYLES returning on February 9; and JUST VISITING, February 10. New dates will be listed in this calendar as soon as they come in…

*LYNYRD SKYNYRD is being listed on Pollstar this week as having a concert set at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville on May 24 in the casino’s Uncas Pavilion. Mohegan Sun’s schedule, however, does not yet show the band returning, so keep an eye on this column for confirmation one way or the other as soon as I hear anything.

Meanwhile, the casino will be hosting THE BUSBOYS on February 2 in the Wolf Den (that’s the freebie shows area, but you still have to be 21 or over to get in); and THREE DOG NIGHT on February 10. The casino is also hosting TOWER OF POWER on both April 29 and November 3, AMERICA on May 5 and October 13, and BAD COMPANY’S PAUL RODGERS on May 12. I don’t know if these are Wolf Den or Uncas Pavilion shows, however. Contact the casino for details.

*GROOVE FICTION SEX CEREMONY, BUFF DADDY and WEAPON X are all opening tonight’s QUIET RIOT show up at The Webster Theatre in Hartford (Jan 26), so if you decide at the last minute that you want to see these guys on their 25th anniversary after all, you’ll have time to make the drive from Newtown without missing a beat of “Cum On Feel the Noize,” “Metal Health (Bang Your Head)” or even “Mama Weer All Crazee Now.” This tour kicked off last February and will continue well into March of this year. The line-up on the road is the same one that recorded and toured the band’s big breakthrough album in 1983, Metal Health (Remember the metal facemask staring out from that album cover? Flashback!).

NUNO BETTENCOURT already has a return date for his new band MOURNING WIDOWS. The ex-EXTREME guitarist’s new trio will be back at the Webster on February 23. The trio just played at the same location last month (December 14, which seems much longer than five weeks ago!).

Next weekend at The Webster is the big GARGANTUA SOUL and TOXIC FIELD MICE show. Opening sets will also be coming from simple, Still Life, C-60, 8-Trak Mind, Collapse and Facing Sideways, which explains why the doors will be opening at 4 pm on February 3. There will be tattoo demonstrations early during this show, and the whole thing is open to all ages.

EVERLAST will be at the Hartford club on February 10, with Dexter and Free Bishop both opening the all-ages event.

*Just added to the calendar at Toad’s Place is RATT on January 29. Tickets are $14.50 if you reserve them in advance, or $16 at the door. It’s an all-ages show.

BLACK 47 will be back on March 2 with The Reilley Clan opening. Later that month will be the return of SANS CHERUBS and MILK, on February 8, for an all-ages show; BLACK-EYED PEAS & TALIB KWELI, also for an all-ages gig, on February 15; and an early MIGHTY MIGHTY BOSSTONES show on February 24. Tickets for that all-ages show are $15 regardless of when purchased.

Also next month will be the annual Sunday afternoon post-New Haven St Patrick’s Day Parade show by THE TIPPERARY KNIGHTS. Admission for the big March 11 event is $5, doors open at 2:30 and the band is scheduled to start playing about an hour later.

*INVADERZ FROM MARZ, who opened the INSANE CLOWN POSSE show last weekend at The Webster Theatre, has replaced the originally-scheduled Big Orange Cone at Tuxedo Junction on February 3. Also up next weekend, on February 2, is DARIK AND THE FUNBAGS.

The club will also host another of its teen dance parties next month. On Sunday, February 18, Tuxedo Junction will open its doors for ages 18 and under only for a No Alcohol High School Dance party.

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

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

JANUARY 26 —Turn Styles at Hot Shots II, Newtown; Max Creek at Toad’s Place, New Haven (all ages); Quiet Riot at The Webster Theater, Hartford (all ages), Groove Fiction Sex Ceremony, Buff Daddy and Weapon X opening; Off The Hook at Sky Box Café (formerly Larkin’s), Fairfield; Professor Louis & The Cromatixs at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport; The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury;

January 27 — The Saints at Hot Shots II; Percy Hill, Truckload of Tweed and Feed at The Webster Theater, also Days and Amaze Me; X-It at Acoustic Café, En4A opening; Fubar at Tuxedo Junction;

January 29 — Ratt at Toad’s Place (all ages), Megahertz and Bladed Shade opening;

January 30 — The Lightning at Toad’s Place (all ages), Solution and Soul Merchants opening.

FEBRUARY 1 —Electric Mayhem at Laszlo’s Arts Café, Monroe; Strangefolk at Toad’s Place, New Haven (all ages);

February 2 — Bump And Run at Hot Shots II, Newtown; Vertical Horizon at The Webster Theater, Hartford, Sister Hazel opening (all ages); Joe Proc at Carl Anthony’s, Monroe; Darik & The Funbags at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; Morris Day & The Time at Foxwoods, Ledyard; Bladed Shade at Laszlo’s Arts Café, Capital Crush opening; The Busboys at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville;

February 3 — The J&B 2000 at Hot Shots II; Gargantua Soul, Toxic Field Mice, simple and Still Life at The Webster Theater, C-60, 8-Trak Mind, Collapse and Facing Sideways also playing (all ages, doors open 4 pm); Joe Proc & Abu at Mimi’s, Danbury; Invaderz from Marz at Tuxedo Junction.