*So I missed the big opening of Margaritaville Connecticut last weekend, but that was my plan: Unless I won tickets into the grand opening party on Sunday, I was thinking that I would stay away for just a few weeks and let the bartenders and servers get their feet wet before I head up to Uncasville and position myself next to the big (biiiig!) margarita machine.

Did any of you make it up to M-ville CT yet? I’d love to hear from you and see some photos of the place if you took your camera with you. Give me a call or send me a note.

*Meanwhile, the 20th anniversary tour of THE SMASHING PUMPKINS will be in the arena at Mohegan Sun on Sunday, November 16.

The band will be releasing its first live DVD, If All Goes Wrong, on November 11, and is still celebrating being inducted earlier this year into Hollywood’s RockWalk as well as being the first band to record a song (“G.L.O.W.”) exclusively for the Guitar Hero World Tour game.

Tickets will be going on sale for the November show on Saturday, October 4, at 10 am. They’ve been set at $40 each, and will be available Saturday through all TicketMaster vendors. Beginning Sunday the tickets will also be available through Mohegan Sun’s box office.

*At the far end of this weekend, tickets will also be going on sale for a NEIL DIAMOND concert at the same venue, on Friday, November 28. Diamond’s tour is still going so well that a third leg has been added and the tour is now the 2008-09 North American Tour.

Tickets are $65 to $135 and will be available beginning 10 am Monday through TicketMaster, and then also through Mohegan Sun’s box office 24 hours later.

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 clubs are for ages 21 and over unless specified.

UPCOMING SHOWS

OCTOBER 3 — The Nerds at Toad’s Place, New Haven, The Remedy opening (all ages); The Village People at The Palace Theater, Waterbury;

October 4 — Brooks & Dunn at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, James Otto and Chris Cagle opening; Lucinda Williams at The Shubert Theater, New Haven;

October 5 — Rob Thomas at MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Ledyard;

October 6 — Rusted Root at Toad’s Place (all ages);

October 11 — Janet Jackson at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville;

October 14 — Method Man and Redman at Toad’s Place (all ages);

October 28 — The Who at Mohegan Sun Arena; Rock Band Live: Panic At The Disco and Dashboard Confessional at Arena at Harbor Yard, Bridgeport, with Plain White T’s and The Cab, also local bands TBA;

October 31 — Alice Cooper at MGM Grand at Foxwoods.