*At least two bands will take part in “Rock By The River,” a concert being planned for Saturday, June 3, in Sandy Hook Center. The local band The Final Cut let me know about this event, and they will be joined by Latter Fire. Members of The Final Cut are guitarist Tim Larson, vocalist David Garcia, drummer Josue Higueros and bass player and keyboardist Nick Waters. These guys, with influences from Relient K and Hawk Nelson, play pop punk and have already produced their own demo CD.

Details (time, exact location, admission fees if any) will be looked into this week and offered in this column space next week.

*Tickets will be going on sale this weekend for JO DEE MESSINA and CHRIS CAGLE’s show at Mohegan Sun Arena, scheduled for Monday, July 10. Tickets will be on sale Friday morning, with all seats $25.

Also on sale this weekend, Saturday at 10, will be tickets for THE GOO GOO DOLLS and COUNTING CROWS, who will be in Uncasville on July 31. Tickets have been set at $50 and $70. TicketMaster will handle Saturday’s ticket sales, and the box office will be open for in-person purchases beginning Sunday.

On June 10, tickets will be going on sale for a September 2 show by STAINED. Those ticket prices have been set at $32.50 and $37.50.

Three more concerts that are on the calendar but do not yet have on-sale dates are the following: ANITA BAKER on July 29; MARC ANTHONY with Marc Antonio Solis and Laura Pausini, August 8; and CROSBY, STILLS, NASH & YOUNG, August 15.

Also noteworthy from Mohegan Sun Arena: The JOURNEY and DEF LEPPARD show on June 28 is being listed as sold out.

*I think it’s terribly ironic that Pop Tarts is the sponsor for this year’s American Idols Live Tour.

Tickets for the Bridgeport stop of that tour, which will be at The Arena at Harbor Yard on Tuesday, July 25, have been put on sale. Prices range from $39.75 to $72.50 per ticket, and tickets are available from the arena’s box office or any TicketMaster vendor.

Regardless of the results of this week’s television performances and voting results, the tour will include the 2006 top ten finalists – Paris Bennett, Bucky Covington, Chris Daughtry, Taylor Hicks, Mandisa, Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler, Lisa Tucker, Elliot Yamin, and Ace Young.

*THE STEVE MILLER BAND was the first concert we heard about coming in to Ives Concert Park in Danbury this summer. That show will be Thursday, August 17, with gates opening at 5 and showtime around 7 with an opening set by the guitarist Eric Johnson.

Tickets are $35 for lawn seating, and $89 or $96 for reserved seats, and on sale through TicketMaster outlets or at the concert park’s box office, located within WCSU’s Ancell School of Business building on the university’s westside campus. Tickets can also be purchased through the concert park’s website, IvesConcertPark.com, but going there will only get you redirected over to TicketMaster.

New this year is that the concert park will no longer allow ticket-holders to bring their own alcohol into the concerts. Picnics are welcome, but leave the booze at home.

The part sent out a press release with its full 2006 Summer Concert Series announcement earlier this week:A family show, Little Bear in The Enchanted Forest, will be offered on Saturday, July 15, at 10 am and 1 pm, and all seats are $20.

The music starts the following weekend, when THE GUESS WHO rolls into town for a July 21 concert. Tickets are $20 for the lawn and $35 and $45 for reserved seating. The season continues as follows: ROBERTA FLACK on July 28 ($22 lawn, $42 and $55 reserved), TRAIN on August 8 ($28 lawn, $55 and $75 reserved), BELA FLECK AND THE FLECKTONES, with The Del McCoury Band and Natalie MacMaster on August 11 ($22 lawn, $42 and $55 reserved), JESSE McCARTNEY on August 18 ($25 lawn, $35 and $45 reserved), THE ONE HEART FESTIVAL on August 25, this year featuring SALVADOR, THE ATHENS and VICKI BEECHING ($20 lawn, $30 and $38 reserved), and THE CAST OF BEATLEMANIA ($20 lawn, $35 and $45 reserved).

*What the heck is PM DAWN up to these days? Find out for yourself when the group performs at The Webster Underground on Thursday, June 22.  Tickets are $12 in advance and on sale now.

The club also has a pair of changes to its schedule. BRIAN LITTRELL has been moved to June 12, and BUCKCHERRY has been moved to June 29.

*Tickets for PAUL SIMON went on sale last week for a July 9 show at Mohegan Sun Arena. I apologize for not letting you know about this show or its on-sale, but I didn’t hear about it until well after last week’s deadline.

Tickets, at $55 and $75, are on sale through TicketMaster and the arena’s box office.

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

MAY 26 — Dan Sawyer at Mocha Coffee House, Sandy Hook; Willie Nelson at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band opening; Michael Bolton at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theatre, Ledyard; Steel Pulse at Toad’s Place, New Haven (all ages show);

May 27 — Montgomery Gentry at The Dodge Music Center, Hartford; Will & J.D. at Mocha Coffee House (11 am-3 pm, during Great Pootatuck Duck Race in The Glen); Infrasonic at Mocha Coffee House (regular evening show);

May 28 — C.M.C. Music 6 at Mocha Coffee House; Twiztid at The Webster Theater, Hartford;

May 31 — Suzanne Vega at Mohegan Sun Cabaret, Uncasville (acoustic show, also June 1).

JUNE 1 — Yellowman at The Webster Theater, Hartford; Suzanne Vega at Mohegan Sun Cabaret, Uncasville (acoustic show, also May 31);

June 2 — Dickey Betts and Great Southern at The Ridgefield Playhouse (also playing June 3); Brooks & Dunn at Mohegan Sun Arena, Sugarland opening (make-up date, sold out); The Radiators at The Webster Theater, Johnny Law and Thunderegg opening; Dick Dale at Toad’s Place, New Haven, The Vultures and 9th Wave opening;

June 3 — Dickey Betts and Great Southern at The Ridgefield Playhouse; Linda Ronstadt at The Chevrolet Theatre, Wallingford, America opening; Badfish at Toad’s Place, Sound System, All In Blind and Slack Tragic opening (all ages);

June 4 — Rob Thomas and Jewel (separate sets) at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville.

June 6 — Collective Soul at The Webster Theater;

June 9 — Rakim at Toad’s Place, DJ Kid Capri and Styles P opening (all ages);

June 10 — John Voket at Mocha Coffee House, Sandy Hook; The Machine at Toad’s Place (all ages).