*All three of this weekend’s shows at the Meadows Music Theatre in Hartford are sold out — that’s DAVE MATTHEWS BAND on Friday and Saturday and then OZZFEST 2001 on Sunday.

*As the current CityCenter Summertime Festival of the Arts begins to wind down, a reminder that REVOLVER will be the featured act next week on the Danbury green. This nationally-known quartet, which performs across the country, is typically billed as “Beatlemania without the costumes” and presents “authentic renditions” of all things Beatles.

The concert is free and begins at 7:30. Bring lawn chairs or blankets for seating; picnics are also welcome. If there is rain, the concert moves into Tuxedo Junction, immediately across the street at 2 Ives Street.

The following weekend, popular local singer-songwriter PETER SPINK headlines his own show at the same bandshell. Spink offers acoustic rock sounds that include old favorites and original compositions, reflecting his influences from the likes of James Taylor, Jackson Browne and Paul Simon. Same start time, also free, but this show does not have a rain location.

*SOULCRACKER, the San Diego band from VH-1’s recent seires “Bands on the Run,” makes its Connecticut debut on September 9 at The Webster Theater.

*RAY DAVIES, who was last in New Haven for one of his “Storyteller” shows six years ago, returns to Toad’s Place on September 23.

Also returning to the 300 York Street Club, next week, will be GARGANTUA SOUL, who will celebrate the completion of their second CD with a release party on Friday, August 10. The hard rock band has been together about four years ago, or in band terms, a few different bass and one guitar player ago. The band’s line-up today is Marc Amendola on lead guitar, Jay Bozzi on rhythm guitar, Brendan Kane Duff on bass, Tommy Hetzel on keyboards and percussion, Kris Keyes on vocals, and Chris Opus on drums.

It’s been a good year for this New Haven-based hard rock band. The guys found out recently that MTV has decided to use one of its songs, “Electrified,” in the third episode of a new series called “Tough Enough,” a show for up-and-coming wrestlers. “Electrifed” came from the group’s first full release, The First. The Last. The Tribe, which was just released last year.

Fellow music station VH1 picked up “Drive,” another single off that first full album, for its own production, a made-for-TV movie called At Any Cost. The band’s song, one they call a “rap and funk-infused rock anthem” was picked for the movie that concerned two brothers from Austin who were completely devoted to their band and music, regardless of the costs to friends and family members around them. (The song was used in the movie but left off the official soundtrack release, unfortunately.)

There was more good news just a few weeks ago. The Internet radio program “The Songwriters Network,” a weekly program at www.cyberstationuse.com that showcases original, indie songwriters of all genres, named the band’s single “No Oasis” No. 1 in its Best Artist category in July. The song also tied for first place in a write-in category… with voters asked to select between “No Oasis” and “SOS,” another Gargantua Soul song!

So next Friday is the big night, time for the new album, called Impact. The 12-song collection was produced by G-Soul guitarist Marc Amendola and Vic Steffens and recorded at Horizon Music Studios in West Haven. It features two tracks mixed by engineer Dug (who has worked with STABBING WESTWARD, COREY HART, FAT and LUXX), and artwork by the Marvel and DC Comic artist Ron Garney. The album was mastered, as was its predecessor, at The Mastering Lab in North Hollywood, Calif.

“This is our sophmore release, and we feel like our songs are more powerful and mature,” singer kris Keyes said from home over the phone this week. “We’d like to think our songs are going to have an impact on our audience, across the country.

“I think we got the feeling while we were working on this that ‘Wow, we’re really starting to gel here,’” he continued. “It’s a really powerful base.” And when Keyes mentions audiences across the country, he isn’t kidding. The band will be at the World Series of Metal, Cleveland Metal Fest in Ohio — a four-stage, 14½-hour show — on Saturday, then in Concord, N.H., on Thursday before rolling back into New Haven for Friday’s big gig. There are also two dates in Illinois later this month. The band plans to have more dates along the East Coast and throughout the Midwest this fall to support the new work.

“I’ve felt impacted by the new music already,” Keyes said. “You can’t please everyone, and we know that. You have to please yourself first.

“We had a rehearsal last night and it was great fun,” he said. “It’s like a car that really smoothly works. It’s nice to be in that artistic situation.” The band has regular rehearsals and band meetings which has helped, Keyes said, in really melding a group of people into a collective that works as one.

“I hear more of a maturity,” he said of the new songs and album. “We’re learning how to write with each other. It more of a comfortability, and this definitely comes through to me. It’s definitely coming into its own.”

Wonder Drug Records is handling distribution of Impact, which the band hopes to have in stores by the middle of September. In the meantime the new collection will of course be available at the August 10 show for $12 per copy.

For free tickets to the show, call the band’s phone line, 203-488-6829. Otherwise tickets are $8.50 if purchased through Toad’s Place in advance, or $10 at the door Friday night. There will be opening sets by Nullset, Wolfpac and Dogfish, and the show is open to all ages. The music is expected to start around 9 pm, with doors opening at 8. For details from Toad’s Place, call 203-624-8623 (TOAD). For band information, visit the Web site www.gsoul.com.

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

AUGUST 3 — Revolver at CityCenter Green, Danbury (free concert, 7:30, rain location Tuxedo Junction); Michael Burks at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café, Hartford; Asia at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show); Huey Lewis & The News at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford; Simple Jim at Toad’s Place, New Haven, Ink, Hype and Side Effect opening; Them Bones at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; The Rob Fletcher-Lou Manzi Duo at Bank Street Coffee House, New Milford;

August 4 —Eddie Shaw & The Wolf Gang at Black-Eyed Sally’s; The Blackstones at Tuxedo Junction;

August 5 —The Samples at The Webster Theater, Red River Soul, Fountain project and Seven Ender opening (all ages);

August 6 — Bill Wyman & The Rhythm Kings at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show);

August 8 — Edwin McCain at The Webster Theater, Howie Day opening (all ages); Collective Soul at Foxwoods, Ledyard;

August 9 — Eddie Money at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show); The Fletcher-Manzi Electric Blues Band at Clancy’s Chop House, New Milford; Hero, The Idiot Toaster at Toad’s Place, Wildfall and Carlos Project opening (all ages).

August 10 — Rod Stewart at Meadows Music Centre; The Chicago Rhythm & Blues Kings at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Gargantua Soul at Toad’s Place, Nullset, Wolfpac and Dogfish opening (all ages); Joe Rockstar at Tuxedo Junction;

August 11 — Janet Jackson at the Hartford Civic Center (date changed from August 14, tickets with original date will be honored); The Rollins Band at Toad’s Place (all ages, early show); The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction;

August 12 — Bela Fleck & The Flecktones at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford, Keb’ Mo’ opening (no tickets yet); Grey Cell Green at The Webster Theater, Accidental Groove, Strychnine and Gaiah opening (all ages); Melvin Seals & JGB (Jerry Garcia Band) at Toad’s Place, Electric Mayhem opening (all ages);

August 16 — Jethro Tull at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre; Starship at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show); The Robby Krieger Band at The Webster Theater, Hartford (all ages show by band led by former Doors member);

August 17 — River City Slim and The Zydeco Hogs at C.H. Booth Library, Newtown (Summer Concert Series, free, 7 pm); Peter Spink at CityCeter Green (free concert, 7:30 start); The Beach Boys at Ives Concert Park, Danbury; Hubinger Street at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport; Darik & The Funbags at Toad’s Place, B.O.D., Kick and Bent opening; Poppa Squat at Tuxedo Junction;

August 18 — matchbox twenty at Meadows Music Centre, Train opening; Cosmic Box at Tuxedo Junction;

August 20 — Crosby, Stills & Nash at Meadows Music Centre (no ticket info yet);

August 21 — Southside Johnny at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show);

August 22 — The Beach Boys at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre, America opening; CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport; David Fosters & The Mohegan Sun All-Stars at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show);

August 23 — Godsmack and The Deftones (co-headlining) at Meadows Music Centre, Puddle of Mudd and CKY opening; Aaron Carter at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre, The A*Teens and Leslie Carter opening; Joan Jett at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show); Lil’ Brian Terry & The Zydeco Travelers at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Psychedelic Breakfast at Toad’s Place, Miracle Orchestra opening (all ages);

August 24 —Vince Neil, Ratt, Slaughter and Vixen at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre; Nils Lofgren at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show); DJ Spooky That Subliminal Kid with Matthew Shipp at Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield; Hipnotic at Tuxedo Junction; Deep Banana Blackout at Toad’s Place (all ages);

August 25 — Yes at Mohegan Sun Pavilion, Uncasville; The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction;

August 26 — The Allman Brothers Band at Meadows Music Centre, Susan Tedeschi opening;

August 29 — The B.B. King Blues Festival at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre, with King, Buddy Guy, John Hiatt and Tommy Castro; Kansas at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den Lounge (free show);

August 30 —Lloyd’s Blues Music Festival at Mohegan Sun’s Uncas Pavilion featuring B.B. King, Buddy Guy, John Hiatt & The Goners, and Tommy Castro (show starts 5 pm);

August 31 — Johnny Rawls at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Styx at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theater; The Wallbangers at Tuxedo Junction.

SEPTEMBER 1 —The Yes Symphonic Tour at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford; Erykaj Badu at Foxwoods, Ledyard;

September 3 —radio 104 Fest 2001 at ctnow.com Meadows Music Center featuring Blink 182, The Crystal Method, Alien Ant Farm, Sum41, Scapegoat Wax, Newfound Glory, Prime S.T.H., Stereomud, Saliva, Boy Hits Car, Crash Palace, The Start, et al; The Yes Symphonic Tour at Ives Concert Park, Danbury;

September 4 — Disco Biscuits at Toad’s Place, New Haven (all ages);

September 7 — REO Speedwagon at Foxwoods Casino’s Fox Theater;

September 9 — Alabama at ctnow.com Oakdale Theatre; Soulcracker at The Webster Theater, Hartford;

September 11 — Buju Banton at Toad’s Place, New Haven, Slightly Stoopid opening (all ages);

September 12 — John Mellencamp at Meadows Music Centre, Hartford, The Wallflowers opening;

September 13 — Anthony Gomes at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café, Hartford;

September 14 — Anthony Gomes and Walter Trout & The Radicals at Black-Eyed Sally’s; John Valby at Toad’s Place;

September 19 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport;

September 23 — Ray Davies at Toad’s Place;

September 28 — The Nerds at Toad’s Place, New Haven.

OCTOBER 6 — Walter “Wolfman” Washington & The Roadmasters at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café, Hartford;

October 8 — Joe Strummer & The Mescelaros at The Webster Theater, Hartford (all ages);

October 11 — Magic Slim & The Teardrops at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

October 12 — Ben Allison & The Medicine Wheel at Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefield;

October 13 —America at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville;

October 24 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport;

October 25 — King’s X at The Webster Theater, Hartford.

NOVEMBER 2 —Popa Chubby at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café, Hartford;

November 3 —Tower of Power at Mohegan Sun, Uncasville;

November 6 — Tower of Power at Toad’s Place, New Haven;

November 16 — The Gonzalo Rubalcaba Trio at Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art, Ridgefeield (two shows, 7 and 9:30 pm);

November 21 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport.

DECEMBER 19 — CSA Songwriters’ Showcase at Acoustic Café, Bridgeport.