*LUCINDA returns to Borders Books*Music*Café this weekend. The Newtown native singer-songwriter will be in the café area of the Federal Road store on Saturday along with drummer Tom Nagy and bass player Chris McCarvill.

The trio will be at Borders in Farmington on March 27 and then opening at The Webster Theatre on April 27 for 80s pop princess TIFFANY.

*The Newtown-based band SIDESHOW is returning to Tuxedo Junction next weekend. The guys will be at the Danbury club on Saturday, March 20.

JULIAN MARLEY will be over there this Sunday, GEORGE CLINTON & PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC headlines on March 24, JOHN VALBY returns March 26, and BLUES TRAVELER will be headlining on Sunday, March 28. Already announced for next month is DE LA SOUL on April 2 and TOOTS & THE MAYTALS, April 4.

*Two more Irish music shows are available for local music lovers.

Fifteen of Connecticut’s leading traditional Irish musicians have signed on for The Shamrogues Irish House Party, which will be March 20 at Black Rock Art Center. Showtime is 7:30 pm and tickets are $9 for adults, $5 for children and seniors.

The Shamrogues is the performance group of The Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society, which is a group that brings well-known Irish musicians into the area for superb concerts fairly regularly. This is the group that’s always sponsoring trad Irish concerts at Newtown Meeting House, and most if not all of those shows in recent years have always been at capacity.

So The Shamrogues are the musicians who not only enjoy trad Irish music but also perform out themselves. Members play jigs, reels, hornpipes, marches, waltzes, polkas, ballads, etc, on the tin whistle, low whistle, highland pipes, Uilleann pipes, guitar, bodhran, banjo, fiddle, silver flute, wooden flute, mandolin, bouzouki, mandocello, hammered dulcimer, concertina, button accordion… and the list goes on. Several of The Shamrogues are also superb vocalists, who share their ballads and songs and encourage their audiences to join in.

Proceeds from next weekend’s house party will help underwrite the music society’s concert series. For additional information or directions to the arts center, which is at 2833 Fairfield Avenue in the Black Rock section of Bridgeport, call 203-367-7917.

*On April 4 the next concert sponsored by The Shamrock Traditional Irish Music Society will be “Irish Traditional Music & Song,” also being presented at Black Rock Art Center. Tickets for the 4 pm concert at $15 for adults and $5 for children and seniors.

All-stars direct from Ireland including members of NOMOS, THE KAREN CASEY BAND and LUNSA (featuring NAIL ZALLELY on concertina, CILLIAN ZALLELY on Uillean pipes and PAUL MEEHAN on guitar) will be performing.

(The next concert the music society will be bringing to Newtown Meeting House, by the way, will be the Connecticut debut of CHULRUA on Wednesday, May 5, at 7:30 pm. Details will be coming in upcoming issues.)

*LYNYRD SKYNYRD is returning for a May 21 show at the Oakdale in Wallingford. Tickets are going on sale Saturday at noon (note the non-regular time), with wristbands being distributed at 10:30 and the lottery to determine line placement taking place at 11:30.

Tickets are $38 and $48, and available in person at the box office or through any tickets.com vendor. .38 SPECIAL will be opening.

*Also on sale Saturday morning is another summer show at The Meadows.

Projekt Revolution 2004, a festival with LINKIN PARK, KORN, SNOOP DOGG and THE USED headlining (more acts TBA), will be at the Hartford amphitheater Saturday, July 31. Tickets for this show will be on sale at 10 am (which is why the Skynyrd show’s on-sale is being delayed for a few hours). The tickets are going on sale this weekend at the Oakdale, not The Meadows, which has not yet opened for the season.

Wristbands will be handed out at 8:30 and the lottery will be at 9:30.

Tickets are $54 for reserved seating and $39.50 for the lawn.

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 CONCERTS

MARCH 12 — Dark Star Orchestra at Toad’s Place, New Haven (all ages); The Nerds at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury;

March 13 — Lucinda at Borders Books*Café*Music, Danbury, with special guests Tom Nagy & Chris McCarvill; Off The Hook at The GW Tavern, Washington Depot; Hat City Blues Band at Bohemian Pizza & Ditto Bar, Litchfield; The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction;

March 14 — Altan at The Quick Center at Fairfield University (3 pm show); Julian Marley at Tuxedo Junction; Annual Sno Cone Tour at The Webster Theatre, Hartford, featuring Trapt, Finger Eleven, Smile Empty Soul and Strata opening.

March 15 — Neil Young at the careerbuilder.com Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford; The Saw Doctors at Toad’s Place;

March 17 — Sting at the careerbuilder.com Oakdale Theatre; John Mayer at The Arena at Harbor Yard, Bridgeport, Guster opening;

March 18 — Peter Prince (Moon Boot Lover) and Ryan Montbleu at Acoustic Café;

March 19 — Big Shot at Tuxedo Junction;

March 20 — SideShow at Tuxedo Junction; Anne Marie Menta with guest Shellye Valuskas at Acoustic Café; Shamrogues Irish House Party at Black Rock Art Center, Bridgeport;

March 24 — George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic at Tuxedo Junction;

March 26 — Off The Hook at 707 On Main, Monroe; John Valby at Tuxedo Junction; Nerissa & Katryna Nield at Acoustic Café;

March 27 — Edwin McCain (with full band) at The Webster Theatre, Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise and Famous Blue Raincoat opening (all ages); Off The Hook at Redding Roadhouse, Redding; Sloan Wainwright with guest Cadence Carroll at Acoustic Café; The Benjamins at Tuxedo Junction;

March 28 — Blues Traveler at Tuxedo Junction; The Toasters and The Superspecs at The Webster Theatre (all ages).