*The fifth annual GATHERING OF THE VIBES will be at Seaside Park in Bridgeport this weekend. The 370-acre park adjacent to Long Island Sound will be home to the three-day extravaganza, and also home to those who wish to camp out for the weekend. Last year’s event hosted an incident-free record, believe it or not — terrific news! — and Ken Hayes of Terrapin Tapes (and its sister company Terrapin Presents) in Brookfield, the mastermind behind the event, will be working again with the mayor’s office and a private security force in the hopes of repeating the success of not only went on up on stage, but on the grounds as well. A quick look at the Vibes’ web site this week indicates people are coming in to Bridgeport this year from Philadelphia and State College, Penn., Coventry, R.I., Albany, Boston, Long Island, Michigan, New York City, North Carolina, among some of the locations mentioned. For anyone heading down to the big event this weekend: Please, have fun and be safe.

Three day passes are available for $95, which allows access to the park from Friday, June 23, beginning at 3 pm, through Monday, June 26, at noon, and includes all performances and entry into the camping areas. Two-day passes, at $85, provide access into the park from Saturday, June 24, at 9 am, through Monday at noon, and all performances and camping area privileges. A single pass for Saturday or Sunday, for $40, admits the ticket holder to access of the concert grounds only from 9 am to midnight of the date on the ticket. It will not allow you to camp or even enter the camping area.

Credit cards will not be accepted at the gate. Children age 12 and under will be admitted free. Parking is an additional $5 per car, regardless of which level pass you possess. No dogs are allowed on the concert field; leave the pets at home, or leashed in the camping area.

Finally, and this is no doubt the most important information for anyone attending this weekend’s Gathering of the Vibes, here is the band list. While performance times were not available by press time this week, the names of everyone planning to perform and at least the order they will be taking the stage has been set up as follows: FRIDAY: Soulive, Merl Saunders & Friends, Deep Banana Blackout, and Dennis McNally. SATURDAY: Sector 9, SONIA dada, Walter “Wolfman” Washington, The John Scofield Band, Joules Graves Original P, Tony Trischka, Strangefolk, Gibb Droll, moe., Les Claypool and Rat Brigade, and Ratdog. SUNDAY: Harlem Gospel Choir, Schliegho, Schoolhouse Rock, Percy Hill, Transglobal/World Beat, Zen Tricksters, Peter Prince, Deep Banana Blackout, Gordon Stone Band, Max Creek, Warren Haynes, and The David Grisman Quintet.

*Tickets have gone on sale for the Connecticut date of a band that was once referred to as a leader of the Second British Invasion back in the Eighties. My mistake last week was in mentioning that original member JOHN TAYLOR would be touring when DURAN DURAN hits the road this summer. Taylor, as any fan of the band already knows, finally decided to leave DD a few years ago. Sorry about the error.

Tickets can still be reserved for the band’s Sunday, August 6 show at the Oakdale in Wallingford. Seats for this show are $30 and $40 apiece and available directly from the Oakdale’s box office (203/265-1501) or online at Tickets.com.

*In a line-up that can be described as nothing less than diverse, the entertainment roster for this year’s Big E/Eastern States Exposition has been announced. Among those that made the cut this year? DEF LEPPARD, a band with a new album and a full summer tour, but no headlining dates scheduled any closer than the Big E appearance on September 30. Also on the list this year is Grammy Award-winner (someone email me and tell me what he won a Grammy for, please) and former soap star-turned-musician RICK SPRINGFIELD. The Big E will be September 15 to October 1 this year, and all of the Main Stage performances are included with admission to the festival (which I don’t happen to have).

*SOL DOG has a show this weekend and next, both in the area. This weekend’s show was a last-minute addition to the band’s schedule, so my apologies for not getting word out sooner. Rev, Ron, Curtiss and Mark will be back at Café 127 in Shelton on Friday, June 23.

Next weekend the boys will be back at Classic Rock Brew Pub in Danbury; that’s the club at the very end of Wibling Road, literally within spitting distance of the tarmac of Danbury Airport. Speaking of the airport, there will be fireworks set off from one end of the airport that night, some pre-Independence Day pyrotechnics set off, so why not combine the two events with some of the best seats in the area.

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. Include a phone number for confirmation, please. If you don’t have a stamp or a piece of paper or a writing utensil that works, give me a call! The phone number at the office is 426-3141. Shows listed on the calendar at club locations are for ages 21 and over unless specified.

 

UPCOMING CONCERTS

JUNE 23 — Peter Obre at The Inn at Newtown; Sold Dog at Café 127, Shelton; Love Gun at Toad’s Place, New Haven, 13 O’Clock and Seahorz opening (all ages); Little Lilith event at The Webster Theatre, Hartford, with Swivel Hips, Sweeter Than Wine, Heavy 7 and Ruby Fruit; The Benjamins at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury;

June 23-25 — 5th Annual Gathering of the Vibes Festival at Seaside Park, Bridgeport, including performances by Ratdog, David Grisman, John Scofield, Merl Saunders & Friends, Max Creek, Harlem Gospel Choir, et al;

June 24 — radio104 fest 2000 at The Meadows, Hartford, featuring Creed and Sevendust, also Amazing Royal Crowns, Rane, Three Doors Down, Kottonmouth Kings, Eve 6, Catherine Wheel, Shades Apart, Deathray, Bowling For Soup, et al; Aimee Mann and Michael Penn at Toad’s Place; The Trag Band at Laszlo’s Arts Café.

The Wallbangers at Tuxedo Junction;

June 25 — The Allman Brothers Band at The Meadows, Hot Tuna opening;

June 26 — The Limit at Laszlo’s Arts Café, Monroe;

June 28 — Sting at The Meadows, Shawn Colvin opening;

June 29 — Mighty Purple on the New Haven Green (part of annual Arts & Ideas Festival, free show, begins 5:30 pm); Far Cry Fly at Laszlo’s Arts Café; Dillinger Escape Plan at Toad’s Place (all ages), Candiria opening;

June 30 — Phish at The Meadows; Sol Dog at Classic Rock Brew Pub, Danbury; The Wallbangers at Boston Billiards, Danbury; Yellowman & The Sagittarius Band at Toad’s Place, Holy Smoke opening; Future Tense at Tuxedo Junction; E-Town and Concrete at The Webster Theatre.

JULY 1 — Phish at The Meadows Music Theatre, Hartford; Darik & The Funbags at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; Veracity and Uncitizen at Laszlo’s Arts Café, Monroe;

July 5 — The Psychedelic Furs at Toad’s Place, New Haven;

July 6 — Marc Anthony at The Meadows;

July 7 — Earth, Wind & Fire at the Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford; George Clinton & Parliament at Toad’s Place, Rearview opening; Zero Chance and Bakwash at Laszlo’s Arts Café;

July 8 — Kiss at The Meadows, Skid Row and Ted Nugent opening; Natalie Merchant at Ives Concert Park, Danbury, Wilco and Carrie opening; Stone Groove and Electric Pimps at Laszlo’s Arts Café;

July 9 — Steely Dan at The Meadows;

July 11 — Brian Setzer at Foxwoods Casino, Ledyard; Kottonmouth Kings at The Webster Theatre, Hartford (all ages);

July 13 — Lynyrd Skynyrd at the Oakdale; Culture at Toad’s Place, Crucial Massive opening (all ages);

July 14 — The Moody Blues at The Meadows Music Theatre; Mighty Purple at Toad’s Place (all ages), SiMent opening; The Beach Boys at the Oakdale Theatre, The Four Tops opening;

July 15 — The Moody Blues at Ives Concert Park, The Peter Spink Group opening; Amnesty Underground and Adva at Laszlo’s Arts Café;

July 15-16 — Alternative Rock n’ Skate Jam Fest at Woodbury Ski Area;

July 17 — Robin Trower at Toad’s Place;

July 18 — The Neville Brothers at Toad’s Place;

July 19 — Less Than Jake at The Webster Theatre (all ages);

July 21 — Bob Dylan and Phil Lesh & Friends at The Meadows; Jethro Tull at Foxwoods Casino;

July 22 — Yes and Kansas at The Meadows; Peter Frampton at Foxwoods Casino; King’s X at The Webster Theatre (all ages);

July 24 —The Slackers at The Webster Theatre, Hartford;

July 25 — Widespread Panic at Toad’s Place (all ages);

July 29 — Jethro Tull at Ives Concert Park, XRC opening; Reggae Summer Splash Festival at The Meadows with Beres Hammond, Luciano, Cocoa Tea, et al; Shadablu and Syphter at Laszlo’s Arts Café;

July 31 — Incubus at The Webster Theatre (all ages); George Thorogood & The Destroyers at Toad’s Place.