Date: Fri 27-Mar-1998

Publication: Bee

Author: SHANNON

Quick Words:

Tower-Power-Junction-Hootie

Full Text:

ON THE ROAD/SHANNON HICKS

Music returns to The Chat House in Newtown this weekend, when LEO WYARD makes

his return to the Church Hill Road locale. Showtime is 8 pm, and admission is

just $3.

I didn't have a chance to mention this last week, but TOWER OF POWER was at

Tuxedo Junction for this year's St Patrick's Day show and the band totally

rocked. The eight-man band, not too modest, calls itself "the world's No 1

soul band." This is a band, if you haven't yet figured out who I'm talking

about, that brought us "What Is Hip?"

The band's current schedule, called TOP On Tour, represents the beginning of

Tower of Power's 30th anniversary tour. Imagine that! TOP is playing to

support its latest release, Rhythm & Business , released last year, but seems

to be the kind of band that can play for months or even a few years without

having to be pushing a new album in order to draw a crowd.

Last week's show presented new songs, like "East Bay Way," sandwiched right in

with stuff from the group's first and second albums. Right from the get-go, we

heard "Social Lubrication" from 1970s East Bay Grease . Not much later, the

band ripped through "You Strike My Main Nerve" and "You Got To Funkifize,"

both from Bump City , TOP's second album (1972).

Missed last week's show? Don't worry - TOP is continually touring. And for a

band that called Danbury one of their favorite places to play, it won't take

too long for the group to work its way back to this neck of the woods.

This weekend at Tuxedo Junction, STUCK MOJO headlines a show Sunday night.

Doors open for this one at 7 pm, and the show is open to all ages. Supporting

acts are Skinlab, Vitamin F and Sufferlife. Tickets are $8 in advance, $10 at

the door.

Coming up next month, HATEBREED and STRIFE on April 9, with Skarhead and

Follow Through opening; and PROPAIN, April 15. These shows are also open to

all ages.

Remember HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH? Sure you do! It hasn't been that long since

ol' Darius and the boys hit that wall called The Sophomore Slump so hard they

disappeared for a while. Next Saturday (April 4) the band will be making a

rare Saturday night club appearance at Toad's Place in New Haven. Doors for

the 9:30 show will open at 8, and tickets are $15 whether you buy them in

advance or get them at the door.

Surprisingly, the tickets that went on sale last weekend for August's concert

by JIMMY BUFFETT at the Meadows did not sell out. Please go buy your tickets

now if you want to go to that show. Every year, I always hear from some poor

soul who tries to wait until the last minute to get his or her tickets and

it's always the same story: long ago sold out. Tickets for Buffett always sell

out well in advance. You guys should know this by now.

This weekend, tickets are being made available for those chameleons of hard

rock - no, wait, now they dress up in flashy suits and say they're playing

alternative rock... my mistake - METALLICA. The band will be at the Meadows in

Hartford on Tuesday, July 21. That concert will be an 8 pm show, with Jerry

Cantrell (of Alice in Chains fame) and Days of the New both performing opening

sets.

Tickets are $25.50 for lawn seating, or $32.50 and $42.50 for pavilion seats.

Call Pro-Tix (860/422-0000) to charge, visit any Pro-Tix outlet, or if you

find yourself in Hartford that morning, the box office will be open 10 am to 2

pm.

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