*In between all the events taking place in Newtown and Sandy Hook this weekend comes the welcome return of SOL DOG to 100 Church Hill. Joy! Rev, Ron, Mark and Curtiss will be at the Sandy Hook locale on Saturday, December 4 – perfect timing after a day at the Sandy Hook Café, Newtown United Methodist Church’s monthly spaghetti dinner and coffee house, and a good way to lead into the annual Newtown Holiday Festival on Sunday. Seriously.

*Newtown musician JOE PROC has a few gigs scheduled this month, starting with a solo show tonight at Carl Anthony’s in Monroe. Tomorrow he’ll be playing with OFF THE HOOK at Proud Mary’s in Newtown.

Joe’s schedule continues with a December 10 Off The Hook show at Rathskeller in Southbury; December 17, back at Carl Anthony’s (solo); December 18, at Jacob Marley’s in Orange, with Off The Hook; and January 1, at Redding Roadhouse with Off The Hook.

*CHARISMA is also out and about this weekend. Ticket-holders to the Family Counseling Center’s Holiday Festival Gala will be treated to a performance by the band at The Amber Room in Danbury on Saturday evening. The band will also be playing the Newtown Board of Realtors’ Holiday Party at Rock Ridge Country Club on December 9, but then they return to the public spotlight on December 10 with a show at Carl Anthony’s in Monroe.

Showtime is 9 pm and there’s no cover charge.

*I know this is a bit out of my usual vein of music, but because they’re local musicians I wanted to let everyone know that JEANNE MALOTA of Newtown and JOHN J. DULINA IV have re-released their collaborative compact disc. Holiday Silhouette, which features Jeanne’s lyrical soprano voice accompanied by John on piano, was released last year and is showing up again at The Magic Garden in Newtown, Villarina’s in Newtown and Southbury, and The Renaissance Center in Southbury.

Holiday Silhouette continues original arrangements of holiday favorites including “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “ I Wonder As I Wander” and “The Christmas Song,” along with some unique arrangements the duo adapted to their own style.

*The December 11 HALL & OATES show at Foxwoods’ Fox Theatre is sold out.

Tickets are on sale, however, for a January 21 reunion show by NEW EDITION, and a February 5 concert by JOE COCKER, both at the same location.

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

DECEMBER 3 — Joe Proc at Carl Anthony’s, Monroe; Dave’s True Story (9 pm) at The Acoustic Café, Bridgeport, followed by Mad Hatters Independent Media Center/Hat City Free Press Benefit Party featuring My Dad’s Truck (call for details or just stick around after the DTS show), opening set by Leni Stern;

December 4 — Sol Dog at 100 Church Hill, Newtown; Off The Hook at Proud Mary’s, Newtown; Ministry at Toad’s Place, New Haven, My Life with The Thrill Kill Cult opening (all ages); Keller Williams and Martin Sexton at The Webster Theater, Hartford  (all ages); The Nerds at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; Alison Brown Band at Towne Crier Café, Pawling, N.Y., John Doyle & Andrea Zonn opening; Beausoleil at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville;

December 5 — Cheryl Wheeler at The Acoustic Café; The McKrells’ Christmas Family Show at Towne Crier Café;

December 7 — Collective Soul at Toad’s Place, evenout opening (all ages; new date, tickets from November 11 will be honored);

December 8 — Cher at Mohegan Sun Arena, The Village People opening;

December 9 — Sister Hazel at Toad’s Place (all ages); Zen Tricksters at The Acoustic Café;

December 10 — Charisma at Carl Anthony’s Trattoria, Monroe; Clay Aiken at careerbuilder.com Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford; Off The Hook at Rathskeller, Southbury; Girlyman at The Acoustic Café, followed by Piecing Together Broken Blue Skies (benefit in memory of Mike Griffin); Chris Smither at Towne Crier Café; Lisa Lisa at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

December 11 — The Zoo at Tuxedo Junction; Kaki King and Welcome, Burnkit, Kateroy & Slow Hand at The Acoustic Café; The Clancy Tradition at Towne Crier Café;

December 12 — Godsmack at careerbuilder.com Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford (acoustic show); Klezmer Mountain Boys at The Acoustic Café; Michael Packer Blues Band at Towne Crier Café with special guests Bob Mintzer, Papa Nebo & Sandy Allen).