*BOB WEIR & RATDOG and BLUES TRAVELER will rock Mohegan Sun Arena on Thursday, November 9. Tickets for the 7 pm show were put on sale this week, and are available through the arena's box office and all TicketMaster outlets and vendors.

By SHANNON HICKS

Published: Sep 29, 2006 12:00 am

*BOB WEIR & RATDOG and BLUES TRAVELER will rock Mohegan Sun Arena on Thursday, November 9. Tickets for the 7 pm show were put on sale this week, and are available through the arenaâs box office and all TicketMaster outlets and vendors.

*FTC Stage One in Fairfield has been flying under my radar until just recently, and I canât imagine how.

Shows earlier this month have included JONATHAN EDWARDS, GREG PICCOLO, AZTEC TWO-STEP, ALI RYERSON, DAVE BROMBERG with ANGEL BAND. October begins with guitar great AL Di MEOLA bringing his Consequences of Chaois Electric Tour to town on the 5th, and then the following night the theater will host not one but two blues legends: THE JAMES MONTGOMERY BAND, featuring legend JAMES COTTON. Tickets for Di Meola are $57, and tickets for the blues show are $52 (call the box office for member discount prices on most shows).

On Saturday the 7th, FTC will host âBanding Together â Music of the 1960s: Miles Davis to Woodstock,â in which local musicians âand do-goodersâ ROB FRIED and JERRY VIGORITO will bring their second annual Habitat For Humanity benefit to the stage. The eveningâs theme is tie-dyed T-shirts, platform shoes and great music.

Acts include rock legend JOE BOUCHARD, THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP, original Woodstock act MAX & IRA STONE, gospel great CHRIS COOGAN, and BUTCH TAYLOR among others. Tickets are all priced at $30, which represents a 100% donations to Habitat For Humanity; there are no member discounts for this show.

EILEEN IVERS & IMMIGRANT SOUL will bring their magnificent traditional Irish music to FTC on Saturday, October 14; former Jefferson Airplane members MARTY BALIN and SLICK AGUILAR, with Scot Sax opening, will perform on October 20; COMMANDER CODY and THE MATT RAE TRIO will be in the house on October 27; THE SUBDUDES will headline on November 2; and Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members THE DAVE MASON BAND will headline on November 12, with an opening set by Scrapomatic.

FTC is at 70 Sanford Street in Fairfield. Call 259-1036 for ticket details and orders, or visit FairfieldTheatre.org for a full schedule an online ordering options.

*Fellow Bee editor John Voket is working on a story about KANSAS, who will be at Ridgefield Playhouse next month. Tickets for the October 18 show are already on sale, priced at $40 and $85; watch for Johnâs story in the Enjoy section two weeks from now.

Also coming to the Ridgefield stage, on October 15, will be AVERAGE WHITE BAND. Those tickets are all $45. (AWB will also be headlining at Toadâs Place next month, on Friday the 13th.)

*KT TUNSTALL will be headlining â her first time in New Haven, I believe â at Toadâs Place on October 10. Thatâs a Tuesday night show, and tickets are already on sale ($18.75 in advance, $20.25 at the door) for the all ages show. Kevin Devine will open.

*Gramy Award-winner MARC COHN will perform on Saturday, October 7, at 8 pm, at Westport Country Playhouse. Thatâs the good news.

The bad news is, even though the press release for this show arrived on my desk just last week tickets are already down to single-seat availability. If youâre still interested, tickets are available for $35, $45 and $50 through the playhouseâs box office, at 203-227-4177.

The concert is being presented by Arts in the House, a co-presentation between Westport Arts Center and Westport Country Playhouse.

*ZOX has just announced its upcoming headlining tour. This is the band that includes Newtown native Spencer Swain on violin, along with bassist Dan Edinberg, drummer John Zox and vocalist and guitarist Eli Miller.

Fanclub tickets for this tour went on sale Monday; the public onsale is Monday, October 2 (except Boston, which will be on sale Saturday, September 30).

The first leg of the tour will open in Troy, N.Y., when the guys play Revolution Hall on November 9 along with RYAN MONTBLEAU and MAKING APRIL. The next stop on the tour brings them back to Connecticut for a Veteransâ Day show at Trackside Teen Center in Wilton along with Tally Hall and Parker House & Theory.

For full tour and ticketing details visit the bandâs website, ZoxBand.com.

Prior to the headlining tour, Zox has some supporting status commitments to fulfill including a stop at Toadâs Place next month. The guys will be one of the opening bands for the FLOGGING MOLLY show on October 11; also opening will be Bedouin Soundclash and The Whitest Kids You Know.

Tickets for the all-ages event in New Haven are $20 in advance and $22 at the door.

Until next week Iâll 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

SEPTEMBER 29 â Shawn Taylor at Mocha Coffee House, Sandy Hook; Blue Man Group at The Chevrolet Theatre, Wallingford; The Doug Wahlberg Band at The Georgetown Saloon; Tower Of Power at Toadâs Place, New Haven, Donât Tell Muddy opening; The Alternate Routes at FTC Stage One, Fairfield, Sons of William opening;

September 30 â John Fazio & Aaron Cerrick at Mocha Coffee House; Greg Piccolo & Heavy Juice at FTC Stage One, The Johnny Boots Band opening; Aimee Mann at Fairfield Universityâs Quick Center, David Ford opening.

OCTOBER 1 â Steel Pulse at Toadâs Place, New Haven, Leni Stern opening (all ages);

October 2 â Beenie Man at Toadâs Place, Tanto Mdetro and Devonte opening (all ages);

October 3 â Quiet Riot at Foxwoods Casinoâs Fox Theatre, Ledyard (also Oct 4, free shows);

October 4 â The Orchestral Jethro Tull featuring Ian Anderson at The Warner Theater, Torrington; Iron Maiden at Dodge Music Center (indoor show, reserved seating only), Bullet for My Valentine opening; Quiet Riot at Foxwoods Casinoâs Fox Theatre (also Oct 3, free); Iron Maiden at Dodge Music Center, Hartford; Umphreyâs McGee at Toadâs Place (all ages); Less Than Jake at The Webster Theater, Hartford, Catch 22, The Loved Ones and Mew Mexican Disaster Fund opening (all ages);

October 5 â Tool at Hartford Civic Center, Isis opening; Big & Rich at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Cowboy Troy opening; Al Di Meola at FTC Stage One, Fairfield; 3, Pure Reason Revolution and Adair at The Webster Underground, Hartford (all ages);

October 6 â The Orchestral Jethro Tull featuring Ian Anderson at Foxwoods Casinoâs Fox Theatre; Eric Clapton at Mohegan Sun Arena, Robert Cray Band opening (also October 7); The James Montgomery Band featuring James Cotton at FTC Stage One;

October 7 â Eric Clapton at Mohegan Sun Arena, Robert Cray Band opening (also Oct 6); New Found Glory at Toadâs Place, Early November, Cartel and Limbeck opening (all ages); âBanding Together â Music of the 1960s: Miles Davis to Woodstockâ at FTC Stage One, featuring Joe Bouchard, The Spencer Davis Group, Original Max & Ira Stone, Chris Coogan, Butch Taylor, et al (a fundraiser for Habitat For Humanity); New Found Glory at Toadâs Place, Early November, Cartel and Limbek opening (all ages); Marc Cohn at Westport Country Playhouse;

October 8 â Vanilla Fudge at Toadâs Place;

October 9 â James Blunt at The Chevrolet Theatre, Wallingford; Michael Ian Black at Toadâs Place, Michael Showalter opening (all ages);

October 10 â KT Tunstall at Toadâs Place, Kevin Devine opening (all ages).

Families United In Newtown Wraps Up The Season With Celebration At Dickinson Park

Attendees Have Fun At NFA's Third Annual SpringFest

Town & Country Garden Club Of Newtown Celebrates 60 Years Of Commitment To Club & Community

Enjoy A DJ Dance Party, Arts And Crafts, And More At Summer Luau

The Way We Were

The Editor suggest a meeting between the "Rock This Democracy " and the Police Commission. As a former Police Commissioner the Chief should have followed the chain of command and discussed this with the Police Commission. The Chief reports to the Elected Police Commission not our Republican First Selection. Can't help but feel this is Republican politics again making an issue out of a non issue.

Assembly Ordinance?

I support Chief Kullgren’s request to explore permitting, and cost-sharing for large gatherings. The right to protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, and I fully support the constitutional right to free speech and assembly. However, where and how often these protests occur matters. Main Street is not just a symbol — it’s a vital artery for daily life in town. When events are held there monthly, and at increasing scale, they cause disruption to residents, businesses, and traffic. While the Rock This Democracy group may describe these protests as unique or urgent, the frequency — roughly once every two weeks this spring — suggests more of a recurring series than a singular, spontaneous moment of civic expression. This isn’t about silencing anyone. It’s about fairness, public safety, and fiscal responsibility. Every time a protest happens, our police department is forced to assign resources, often on overtime. That expense adds up quickly. If any group wants to use public space regularly, particularly in a way that impacts traffic and requires police presence, then it’s reasonable for the town to consider permitting and cost-sharing — just as we do for other organized events like races, festivals, or parades. Let’s protect everyone’s rights — including the right of the community to function smoothly and the right of taxpayers not to bear undue cost for repeated events. I trust the Council to consider a reasonable path forward that balances speech with responsibility.

David, your passion for transparency would carry more weight if it weren’t routinely wielded like a cudgel. Let's set the record straight: no one is against easier access to documents or better online availability—we all want an informed public. But there's a difference between constructive advocacy and the kind of grandstanding that costs this town time, morale, and taxpayer money. You cite Ridgefield’s practices—great. Let's talk about that like adults. But instead, what we see is a steady stream of accusatory posts, legal challenges, and FOIA blitzes aimed less at solving problems and more at creating headlines. It’s not “slander” to point out that your approach often does more to divide and exhaust than to help. I’ve been at the very meetings you claim are inaccessible or opaque. I’ve seen your group turn logistical hiccups into conspiracy theories. I’ve watched as staff—who already work overtime—are dragged into another fishing expedition while real civic needs are left hanging. You’re not just pushing for access; you’re using the tools of open government to grind its gears to a halt. That’s not progress. That’s obstruction dressed up as advocacy. And the people paying for it—literally—are your neighbors. Let’s stop pretending it’s just about uploading PDFs. The issue here is how we engage. We can have real conversations about modernization without constant accusations, FOIA skirmishes, and Facebook pile-ons. Until then, I’ll continue to call out tactics that undermine, not uplift, our town.

Calls For Policies To Create Greater Transparency

The bottom line is this: costs are up, and no group—including teachers—is exempt. Ignoring Anthem’s recommended 22% increase last year may have directly caused the $2 million shortfall. Everyone has to share in the fix. That might mean higher premiums and leaner benefits. Complaints alone won’t solve the problem—realistic solutions will. I urge all Newtown Teachers to email their Union leaders and express their support for higher premiums.

Discusses Town Self-Funded Insurance Plan

Its really easy to make assertions and cast doubts from behind a keyboard....a little too easy aparently. You might try conducting the actual research BEFORE doing it next time. If you do, you too will find that there's no need to imagine such a policy to improve public transparency and participation. Take a look at Ridgefield's P&Z meeting agendas on their website for starters. They are just one town that provide links to electronic copies of applications and other public documents, so that their commissioners and residents can easily access them and be well-informed, before meetings and public hearings occur and without making them drive to town hall (during business hours) to ask their land use staff to pull the files and make copies of them, saving everyone time (time is money), and gasoline, and missed work. Most applicants alrleady submit electronic copies, and for those who don't, it's a lot easier for a staffer to scan them once, than to have to make copies every time someone asks for them. And please don't misrepresent or slander those who advocate for smart, low impact & sustainable development policies and practices as 'anti-development'.

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*BOB WEIR & RATDOG and BLUES TRAVELER will rock Mohegan Sun Arena on Thursday, November 9. Tickets for the 7 pm show were put on sale this week, and are available through the arena's box office and all TicketMaster outlets and vendors.

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