*So we heard word this week that the 3rd Annual Are You Dense MusicFest is taking place on Saturday, August 27, from 4 to 9 pm, at Quassy Amusement Park in Middlebury. Are You Dense, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit public charity devoted to raising awareness of dense breast tissue for the early detection of breast cancer. 

Featured this year will be popular area bands MAJOR MOTION and THE DEVINO BROS OL SKOOL HORN BAND, plus THE JANET ORTIZ BAND, ARTI DIXSON BAND and smooth jazz recording artist MARION MEADOWS, a Connecticut native. Emcee for the afternoon will be Teresa LaBarbera from WTNH News 8.

Are You Dense, Inc. was founded by Dr Nancy Cappello after her own late stage breast cancer diagnosis, after a decade of “normal” mammograms. It turned out Dr Cappello, like many women, has dense breast tissue. Mammograms are limited to “seeing” cancer in women with dense tissue because of the dense breast tissue. The MusicFest event has become the organization’s principal financial support to spread the word about one of the medical world’s best-kept secrets, a woman’s breast density.

In addition to five hours of music, Are You Dense MusicFest 2011 will again feature exhibitors as well as silent auction and raffle items.  MusicFest goers are encouraged to bring picnic baskets.  Food and discounted Quassy all day ride passes and Saturation Station will be available for purchase.

Adult tickets (which include parking) are $35 in advance, or $45 at the gate; ages 4-12 are $10 in advance, $15 at the gate; and ages 3 and under will be admitted free or charge.

Additional information and tickets are available through www.AreYouDense.org or by calling 203-232-9570. Ticket outlets also include The Harold Leever Regional Cancer Center, 1075 Chase Parkway in Waterbury; The Palace Theater box office, 100 East Main Street in Waterbury; The Print Shop, 450 Wolcott Road (Route 69) in Wolcott; and Canfield Corner Pharmacy, 2 Main Street North (Route 6, at Route 47) in Woodbury.

*For those who like to plan ahead: Legendary guitarist, singer-songwriter, Grammy winner, producer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member (and of course, Fleetwood Mac member) LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM will release his sixth solo album, Seeds We Sow, on September 6.

Buckingham’s first self-release, in which he took a true DIY approach, not only writing and performing every song on the record but producing and mixing them as well, will be followed in short order by a 31-city North American tour in support of the album, kicking off on September 9 in Nevada and continues through October 25 in Napa, Calif… and includes a Saturday, September 24, stop at The Ridgefield Playhouse.

Tickets for that show are $85 and go on sale Thursday, June 23. Call 203-438-5795 or visit www.RidgefieldPlayhouse.com for reservations and additional information.

*INCUBUS will bring their 2011 Consequence of Sound tour with special guest Young The Giant to Mohegan Sun Arena on Wednesday, September 7, at 7:30 pm.

Tickets are $45 and go on sale Friday, June 24, at 10 am, through Ticketmaster ( visit www.TicketMaster.com; call 800-745-3000, or visit any Ticketmaster outlet). Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun box office in Uncasville starting Saturday, June 25, subject to availability.

*Apologies for not telling you about this last week, but work came in well past deadline: Cuban-American rapper PITBULL will be at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods on Saturday, August 20, at 8 pm. Tickets are $20, $30 and $40, and went on sale June 17; visit www.Foxwoods.com for details.

*THE DOUG WAHLBERG BAND will be at Georgetown Saloon in Redding this weekend (Saturday, July 25), and then at Molly Darcy’s in Danbury on July 8.

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

JUNE 24 — Old School at Proud Mary’s, Newtown; MC Hammer at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville (replaces previously announced performance by Blues Traveler); The Fabulous Thunderbirds at Infinity Music Hall;

June 25 — Katy Perry at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Marina & The Diamonds opening; Starship with Mickey Thomas at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville; Robbie Dupree at Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne; Aztec Two Step at Infinity Music Hall, Norfolk, with special guests Buskin & Batteau; Doug Wahlberg Band at The Georgetown Saloon, Redding;

June 26 — Darius Rucker at The MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods, Mashantucket; Sunny Sweeney at Mohegan Sun Wolf Den;

June 27 — Michael Franti & Spearhead and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals at Ives Concert Park, Danbury;

June 30 — MaryBeth Sippin & Goldrush at Dickinson Park, Newtown; P.J. Pacifico at Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne; Nils Lofgren at The Ridgefield Playhouse; Steve Martin at The Warner Theatre, Torrington.

July 1 — Peter Frampton at Ives Concert Park, Danbury; Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez at Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne, Fairfield, Jay Stollman opening; Nils Lofgren’s Acoustic Dui at Infinity Music Hall, Norfolk;

July 2 — Def Leppard at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Heart opening; Earth, Wind & Fire at Ives Concert Park, Danbury; 10th Annual HOT Jam at The XL Center, Hartford, with Lupe Fiasco, Fabolous, Jeremih, et al; Eight To The Bar at Infinity Music Hall;

July 3 — Sade at Mohegan Sun Arena, John Legend opening; Ryan Cabrera at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville;

July 4 — Uncle Kracker at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

July 5 — Blue Oyster Cult and Foghat at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Mashantucket;

July 6 — Soundgarden at Mohegan Sun Arena, Coheed and Cambria opening;

July 7 — Kid Rock with Sheryl Crow at The Comcast Theatre, Hartford; Jerrod Neimann at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

July 8 — Styx and Yes at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods; Aaron Lewis at The Ridgefield Playhouse; Chuck Negron at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Big Bad Voodoo Daddy with Hartford Symphony Orchestra at Talcott Mountain Music Festival at Simsbury Meadows, Simsbury; Doug Wahlberg Band at Molly Darcy’s, Danbury;

July 9 — Keith Urban at Mohegan Sun Arena, Jake Owen opening (also July 10); Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at Mohegan Sun Arena;

July 10 — Keith Urban at Mohegan Sun Arena, Jake Owen opening; Jennifer Hudson at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods; Dave Mason at Infinity Music Hall; Asia featuring John Payne at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

July 12 — Marc Cohn at Infinity Music Hall; Court Yard Hounds at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods;

July 13 — Lil Wayne at The Comcast Theatre, Hartford.

, with Rick Ross, Keri Hilson, Far East Movement and Lloyd; Gin Blossoms at Infinity Music Hall; Carbon Leaf at The Ridgefield Playhouse, The Alternate Routes and Enter The Haggis opening; Warrant at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

July 14 — Umphrey’s McGee at The Dome at The Dome at the Oakdale Theatre; Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at Infinity Music Hall; Gin Blossoms at The Ridgefield Playhouse;

July 15 — Mötley Crüe and Poison at Mohegan Sun Arena, New York Dolls opening; Craig Morgan at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Loretta Lynn at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods; Ryan Montbleau Band at Infinity Music Hall; Alternate Universe at Proud Mary’s, Newtown;

July 16  — Peter Frampton at The MGM Grand Theater at Foxwoods; Lou Gramm at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; The Trolls at Villa Pasta, New Fairfield; Spyro Gyra at Infinity Music Hall;

July 17 — The Lovin’ Spoonful at Infinity Music Hall;

July 18 — Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo at The Ridgefield Playhouse;

July 19 — Shawn Colvin at Infinity Music Hall;

July 20 — The Goo Goo Dolls at The Oakdale, with special guests Michelle Branch and Parachute; Edwin McCain at Infinity Music Hall;

July 21 — Opening night of Gathering of the Vibes 2011, Seaside Park, Bridgeport (festival continues to July 24); Taking Back Sunday at The Dome at Oakdale, with Thursday, Colour Revolt, and We Are The In Crowd opening; Red Horse featuring Lucy Kaplansky, John Gorka & Eliza Gilkyson at Fairfield Theatre Company’s StageOne; Johnny Lang at The Ridgefield Playhouse; Paul Revere & The Raiders at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

July 22 — Gathering of the Vibes 2011 continues; Rihanna at Mohegan Sun Arena, Cee Lo Green opening;

July 23 — Gathering of the Vibes 2011 continues; Tim McGraw at Mohegan Sun Arena, Luke Bryan and The Band Perry opening; Puddle of Mudd at The Webster, Hartford, Rev Theory opening;

July 24 — Gathering of the Vibes 2011 continues; 2011 Mayhem Festival at The Comcast Theatre, Hartford, with Disturbed, Godsmack, Megadeth, Machinehead, et al; Sammy Kershaw at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

July 25 — An Evening with Steely Dan at Ives Concert Park, Danbury;

July 26 — Lisa Loeb at Infinity Music Hall; Salt N Pepa with SWV at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods;

July 27 — Alison Kraus & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas at Ives Concert Park; Shaboo All-Stars featuring Matt “Guitar” Murphy at Infinity Music Hall;

July 29 — Steely Dan at The MGM Grand at Foxwoods, Mashantucket; Zappa Plays Zappa at Klein Memorial Auditorium, Bridgeport; Alternate Universe at Proud Mary’s;

July 30 — Queensrÿche at The Webster; Josh Groban at Mohegan Sun Arena; Steve Katz at The Alison Palmer Studio at Stone Fences, South Kent; Morris Day & The Time at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

July 31 — Jefferson Starship at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den.