Date: Fri 09-Apr-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNON

Quick Words:

Meadows-Journey-Tweeter-Koplik

Full Text:

ON THE ROAD/SHANNON HICKS

This has got to be a record! Ticket prices for a BOB DYLAN & PAUL SIMON

concert at The Meadows in Hartford on July 24 will be going on sale Saturday,

April 10. I had been told in advance that the highest-priced pavilion seats

would go for over $100, but this is crazy: According to the release that

arrived in the office Monday afternoon, pavilion tickets are running from

$58.50 to $153.50 apiece . Lawn seats are $28.50.

Each musician will perform his own set, and then collaborate on a set

together. For $150, the two had better not only collaborate, but had better

collaborate for hours !

Also going on sale Saturday morning will be tickets for this year's Volunteer

Jam (which originated at the Meadows for just one date last summer, organized

by mega-promoter Jim Koplik), featuring CHARLIE DANIELS BAND, MARSHALL TUCKER

BAND and MOLLY HATCHET, on Sunday, June 13, a JOURNEY and FOREIGNER double

bill, on Friday, June 18. The tickets for both of these shows will be much

more modestly priced, at $28.50 and $38.50 for pavilion seats, and $21 for

seats on the lawn.

(More information on the goings-on at the Hartford venue follows below.)

The schedule came in over the weekend from Laszlo's Arts Cafe in Monroe for

the remainder of the month. This week the cafe will feature original and

unoriginal folk songs performed by singer-songwriter PATRICK McHENRY on

Friday; and the local bands (rock/heavy/alternative) SPLICE and SPROX on

Saturday. Blues will be featured on April 15 with local band HUG THE UNUK; a

CD release party for WHO'S INSANE, another local (Monroe) band, April 16; jazz

with THE AMAZING SCOTT SHERWOOD TRIO, April 19; LAST DAZE, with covers and

originals, April 22; POINT OF VIEW and CLOUD, April 24; blues again on April

29 with LARRY DEL; and THE SHOW THAT NEVER QUITS and BANG on April 30.

The cafe opened late last year and is committed to featuring the arts of local

artists, whether music, performance, poetry, illustrations, etc. In addition

to the music mentioned above, the cafe features "Obscure Video Nights" every

Monday, and open mic nights on Friday evenings. The cafe is at 179 Main Street

in Monroe, near the roller skating rink.

THE NIELDS return to Connecticut this month, with a concert at the Lincoln

Center at the University of Hartford. Show date is Saturday, April 24. For

ticket details, contact the theatre directly, 860/768-4228.

Also returning to Connecticut this month (and I must share with you that this

is a return I have been looking forward to for nearly a year) is INDIGO SWING.

These guys opened for THE BRIAN SETZER ORCHESTRA last July at The Globe

Theatre in Norwalk, and are now returning for a concert of their own at West

Hartford Town Hall on April 16. Apparently the band's 8 pm concert will be

preceded by an hour of swing dance lessons, so it's worth it to get the show

early.

(By the way, Brian Setzer is also returning, with the orchestra still in full

swing -- no pun intended -- this time to the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford,

exactly one year after the aforementioned date in Norwalk, on July 17.)

There have been so many changes between the announcement of MARILYN MANSON and

HOLE coming into New Haven a few months ago and the impending show on Saturday

night that it's hard to say whether this is the final line-up or not: First it

was Marilyn Manson with Hole, co-headlining, and then all the opening bands

started getting shuffled around, with Imperial Teen and Monster Magnet each

being added and then dropped from the bill. Now Hole isn't on the bill for

Saturday night's show, and the opener is listed as NASHVILLE PUSSY.

Speaking of things changing, there is a lot going on behind the scenes with

SFX Entertainment, which took over the lease on the Meadows Music Theatre in

Hartford in 1997. Last week a major announcement was made concerning Great

Woods, the amphitheatre in Mansfield, Mass. which is also run by SFX: the

venue will now be known as The Tweeter Center, yes, as in the electronics

corporation. Apparently, by the end of this month, the Meadows will also

suffer the same fate, being rechristened with a new name in a more corporate

vein.

In terms of concerts, only a few have been firmly announced for the

now-still-named Meadows, including the three shows mentioned at the beginning

of this column (as well as the N'SYNC and JIMMY BUFFETT shows that have been

on sale already for a few weeks). A number of shows are being mentioned this

week, but nothing is official because of scheduling and rescheduling that

continues.

A spokesperson for SFX, which also handles events at the Oakdale, said this

week that "This is the time of year when everything changes around constantly,

so there are not too many definites yet." The JOHN MELLENCAMP tour was offered

as an example: While Mellencamp tickets have already gone on sale for a Great

Woods (oops, Tweeter Center) June 12 concert, a previously-given June 11 date

for the Meadows (or whatever it's going to be called by then...) is already

back up in the air.

Other names that are being tossed around at the moment include the following,

all for Hartford: The Great American Music Fest, featuring BROOKS & DUNN,

SUSAN ASHTON, JULIE REEVES and CLAUDIA CHURCH, June 12; The OzzFest, with

BLACK SABBATH, PRIMUS, ROB ZOMBIE, THE DEFTONES, SLAYER, GODSMACK and SYSTEM

OF A DOWN, June 19; TOM PETTY AND THE HEARTBREAKERS, June 21; and THE ALLMAN

BROTHERS BAND, June 22. But again, none of these dates are firm yet.

Until next week, I'll be seeing you... on the road.

Questions and comments concerning "On The Road" (or anything music related)

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! 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

APRIL 9 -- Future Tense at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; The Radiators at Toad's

Place, New Haven, Cubistic Jack opening;

April 10 -- Marilyn Manson at New Haven Coliseum, Nashville Pussy opening; Toy

Box at Tuxedo Junction; 2 Skinnee J's at The Webster Theatre, Hartford;

Cassandra Wilson at The Palace, New Haven; Splice at Laszlo's Arts Cafe,

Monroe;

April 11 -- Klezmerpalooza at Toad's Place (5 Klezmer bands performing);

April 12 -- Robin Trower at Toad's Place, New Haven, Z Plan opening;

April 14 -- Bare Jr at Tuxedo Junction;

April 15 -- Overkill at Toad's Place (all ages), Cyd Christmas and Machinery

opening; Hug The Unuk at Laszlo's Arts Cafe;

April 16 -- Peter Obre at Mary Hawley Inn; Who's Insane at Laszlo's Arts Cafe;

Indigo Swing at West Hartford Town Hall (swing dance lessons 7 pm, concert

begins 8 pm); Big Orange Cone at Tuxedo Junction;

April 17 -- Moppin Sauce at Fat Daddy's, Watertown; Dave Brubeck Quartet with

Norwalk Symphony Orchestra at Norwalk Symphony Hall, Norwalk; The Zoo at

Tuxedo Junction;

April 18 -- Radio 104 Modern Rock the Earth Day at Bushnell Park, Hartford

(featuring Shawn Mullins, Mighty Purple, Fishbone, Accidental Groove, Stretch

Princess, et al); Cry, Cry, Cry at Acoustic Studio/Rich Forum, Stamford (Lucy

Kaplansky, Richard Shindell & Dar Williams);

April 22 -- Last Daze at Laszlo's Arts Cafe; Paxton at Toad's Place, Jason

Drug, Splice and Quadrafonics opening (all ages);

April 23 -- Unwritten Law at The Webster Theatre; Vybe Trybe at Tuxedo

Junction;

April 24 -- Point of View and Cloud at Laszlo's Arts Cafe; Pete Moss and the

Fertilizers at Tuxedo Junction;

April 25 -- Dick Dale at Toad's Place, Big Bad Johns and Holiday Rain opening;

Neil Young at the Oakdale (tickets on sale March 13);

April 29 -- Eight to the Bar and The Delrays at Toad's Place (benefit for New

Haven Catholic Schools); Morbid Angel at The Webster Theatre; Larry Del at

Laszlo's Arts Cafe; Tower of Power at Tuxedo Junction;

April 30 -- Peter Obre at Mary Hawley Inn; Max Creek at Toad's Place, Leaf

Jumpers and Psychedelic Breakfast opening (all ages); Tragically Hip at The

Webster Theatre; The Show That Never Quits and Bang at Laszlo's Arts Cafe; The

Nerds at Tuxedo Junction.

MAY 1 -- Adrian Legg at Towne Crier Cafe, Pawling, NY, Billy McLaughlin

opening; Free Style at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury;

May 2 -- The Samples at Toad's Place, New Haven, Seeking Homer opening (all

ages);

May 3 -- Overkill at Toad's Place (all ages); Cherry Poppin' Daddies at Toad's

Place, Stretch Princess opening (all ages);

May 6 -- Tower of Power and AWB at Toad's Place;

May 13 -- Deep Banana Blackout at Toad's Place, Union Groove and Erl Shibe 5

opening (all ages);

May 14 -- Love Gun at Toad's Place, Matt's Altar and Atmosfear opening;

May 16 -- Merl Saunders & The Rainforest at Toad's Place (all ages);

May 18 -- Toots & The Maytals at Toad's Place (all ages);

May 20 -- Propain at The Webster Theatre, Hartford;

May 21 -- Darik & The Funbags at Toad's Place, DOA 2000 opening;

May 28 -- Santana at the Oakdale Theatre, Wallinford, Ozomatli opening;

May 29 -- WPLR Picnic at Yale Field, New Haven (Edgar Winter Band, NRBQ,

Hubinger Street, et al).