CAPTION: Cirque du Soleil's latest touring extravaganza designed for indoor venues is "Saltimbanco," coming to the Peoria Civic Center at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 17 and 18.

Now that summer's winding down, don't think the heat is off. In fact, things are just starting to warm up on the fall entertainment front.

Sizzle, in fact.

The blaze starts in September, as everything from the second edition of the University of Illinois' amazing Wall-to-Wall Guitar Festival to the second eclectic season of the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts kicks in.

We count virtually a touring concert event per week in B-N alone (and we're not even including the countless recitals and concerts by our own homegrown talents).

What's more, the season is still evolving, with doubtless more announcements coming our way in the weeks ahead.

To help you get your bearings, we present the following overview of the big music, comedy and variety events coming to Pantagraphland beginning next weekend and continuing through year's end.

Meanwhile, for a look at the big theater and dance options coming our way this fall, head to page D4.

September

• 9-6: Clint Black and Laura Bryna, 7:30 p.m.; the owner of his country music label brings one of his own artists along for a doubleheader; Peoria Civic Center.

• 9-8: Chuchito Valdez Quartet, 7:30 p.m.; the famed Afro-Cuban jazz group joins B-N's own Heartland Jazz Orchestra for a swinging jam; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 9-9: Hinder, Papa Roach, Buckcherry and Revelation Theory, 7 p.m.; a new-rock quadrupleheader; Peoria Civic Center.

• 9-13: Great China Circus, 7:30 p.m.; Far Eastern spectacle; U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

• 9-14: Buckwheat Zydeco, 7:30 p.m.: the kings of zydeco bring on the accordions and other goodies; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 9-14: Los Lobos, 10 p.m.; veteran guitar rockers; Wall to Wall Guitar Festival at U of I Krannert Center.

• 9-14: Marvin Hamlisch, 8 p.m.: the Tony-Oscar-Grammy-winning composer-pianist, who played ISU with Joel Grey earlier this year, returns; U of I at Springfield Sangamon Auditorium.

• 9-14: Shawn Colvin and Natalia Zukerman, 2 p.m.; Grammy-winning singer-guitarist meets fellow singer-guitarist; Wall to Wall Guitar Festival at U of I Krannert Center.

• 9-14: Umphrey's McGee, 8 p.m.; the perennially popular jam rockers return for more extended riffs; Canopy Club.

• 9-14: Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, Pierre Bensusan and Michel Benita, 7 p.m.; global guitarists; Wall to Wall Guitar Festival at U of I Krannert Center.

• 9-15: Buddy Guy, Vieux Farka Toure and John Kaukonen with Cindy Cashdollar, 9:30 p.m.; Chicago's legend meets West Africa's wunderkind meets the Jefferson Airplane alum meets the guitar queen; Wall to Wall Guitar Festival at U of I Krannert Center.

• 9-15: Dan Zanes & Friends, 10 a.m.; guitar-wielding kids' entertainer; Wall to Wall Guitar Festival at U of I Krannert Center.

• 9-15: Girlyman, 8 p.m.; "A modern-day Peter, Paul & Mary, only sexier, edgier," we're assured; IWU Hansen Student Center.

• 9-15: John McLaughlin, 7 p.m.; one of jazz-rock's true pioneers; Wall to Wall Guitar Festival at U of I Krannert Center.

• 9-15: Kaki King, Tony McManus and Alex de Grassi, 5 p.m.; three guitar wizards of differing temperaments unite; Wall to Wall Guitar Festival at U of I Krannert Center.

• 9-15: Paul O'Dette and The Romeros, 2 p.m.; lute maestro meets the Spanish guitar kings; Wall to Wall Guitar Festival at U of I Krannert Center.

• 9-20: Pacifica Quartet and Paul Katz, 7:30 p.m.; acclaimed U of I quartet in residence meets the Cleveland Quartet's cellist; U of I Krannert Center.

• 9-21: The Nearly Famous Comedy Tour, 8 p.m.; rising comedians caravan, sporting Scotty K, Chris Schlichting, Aaron Hurley, Luke Swanson and Von the comedian; Virginia Theater.

• 9-21: Susan Werner, 8 p.m.: the singer-songwriter we all know and love returns for more as the Blue Moon's season opener; IWU Blue Moon Coffeehouse (in Westbrook Auditorium for this show only).

• 9-22: Cyro Baptista's Beat the Donkey, 7:30 p.m.; the Brazilian percussionist and his dance ensemble cut loose; U of I Krannert Center.

• 9-22: WWE Raw Live, 7:30 p.m.; with featured tag team match Jon Cena/Triple H vs. Umaga/King Booker; U of I Assembly Hall.

• 9-24: ECW Smackdown, 7 p.m.; with featured tag team match Ric Flair/Batista vs. The Great Khali/Mark Henry; Prairie Capital Convention Center,

• 9-26: ZZ Top, 8 p.m.: the hirsute rockers celebrate "Legs" and other themes; Peoria Civic Center.

• 9-27: The Pink Floyd Experience, 7:30 p.m.; the New Zealand-based band with a thing for the long-defunct Brit band recreates PF's '70-s-early-'80s heyday for us; Peoria Civic Center.

• 9-28: Don Rickles and Spanky McFarland, time TBA; Mr. Warmth takes on B-N, preceded by a musical set from the B-N native McFarland; U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

• 9-28: 'Weird Al' Yankovic, 8 p.m.; 25 years after "Eat It," pop's court jester jokes on; U of I Assembly Hall.

• 9-29: Frankie Avalon's Beach Party, 8 p.m.; the Beach Blanket Bingo master recalls sand, surf, song and Annette; Prairie Capital Convention Center.

• 9-29: The Second City, 7:30 p.m.; the touring edition of the Chicago comedy factory, brings its latest show, "One Nation Under Blog," to town; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 9-29: WWE Smackdown and ECW, 7:30 p.m.; more ring mayhem; Peoria Civic Center.

October

• 10-2: Breaking Benjamin, Three Days Grace, Seether and Skillet, 7:30 p.m.; a trio of cutting-edge bands brings the downtown Bloomington venue its first modern rock show since opening a year ago; U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

• 10-2: Cherryholmes, 7:30 p.m.; the all-in-the-family bluegrass sensations return; U of I Krannert Center.

• 10-4: Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, 7:30 p.m.; the alt country-rock troubadour from Jacksonville, N.C., is joined by his backing band The Cardinals; U of I Foellinger Auditorium.

• 10-4: Smashing Pumpkins and The Bravery, 7:30 p.m.; the reunited Chicago rock legends of the '90s play their only downstate gig, an instant sellout; ISU Braden Auditorium.

w10-5: Clint Black and Laura Bryna, 8 p.m.; see Sept. 6 listing; Millikin University Kirkland Fine Arts Center.

• 10-5: Mike Birbiglia, 8 p.m.; Comedy Central's "cracker please" man and "The Bob & Tom Show's" mainstay; Virginia Theater.

• 10-5: Steven Curtis Chapman, 7:30 p.m.; the Christian contemporary singer-songwriter is joined by Sanctus Real and Bethany Dillon; U of I Assembly Hall.

• 10-6: Bill Engvall, 8 p.m.; the Blue Collar comedy alum redux, Peoria Civic Center.

• 10-6: The Robert Cray Band, 7:30 p.m.; the five-time Grammy winning R&B-rock band, originally slated for last fall, comes through; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 10-7: The Newsboys, 6 p.m.; Christian pop fans still on a roll from Steven Curtis Chapman two nights before can keep the momentum going with this veteran (22 years!) quartet; Peoria Civic Center.

• 10-8: La Scala Philharmonic and Ben Heppner, 7:30 p.m.; maestro Riccardo Chailly and the orchestra meet Grammy-winning tenor; U of I Krannert Center.

• 10-12: Riders in the Sky, 7 p.m.; "America's favorite singing cowboys" sing their favorite "Toy Story 2" hit, "Woody's Roundup," and other family-friendly tunes; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts..

• 10-13: Blue Man Group's How to Be a Megastar Tour 2.1, 7:30 p.m.; the arena-rock edition of the boys-in-cobalt phenomenon; U of I Assembly Hall.

• 10-14: NBC's Last Comic Standing, time TBA; the winners and losers from the current season of the NBC series; U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

• 10-15: Jethro Tull, 7:30 p.m.; flutist Ian Anderson and the boys celebrate their prog-rock heyday of the '70s; U of I at Springfield Sangamon Auditorium.

• 10-17: Shangri-La Chinese Acrobats, 7 p.m.; high-energy feats of derring-do from the troupe formerly known as the Chinese Magic Revue; Virginia Theater, Champaign.

• 10-17/18: Cirque du Soleil's Saltimbanco, 7:30 p.m.; the latest Cirque extravaganza; Peoria Civic Center.

• 10-18: David Sedaris, 7:30 p.m.; America's favorite byproduct of a dysfunctional upbringing and a former gig as an elf returns to B-N to make us laugh ourselves silly; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 10-18: Murray Perahia, 7:30 p.m.: the Grammy-winning pianist extraordinaire; U of I Krannert Center.

• 10-19: Koko Taylor, time TBA; Chicago's blues queens returns to B-N; New Lafayette Club.

• 10-20: The World-Famous Glenn Miller Orchestra, 7:30 p.m.; though Miller and the original members are long gone, his estate has lent its seal of approval to this tribute edition, in which the "World Famous" is an official part of the big band's moniker; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 10-21: Blue Man Group's How to Be a Megastar Tour 2.1, 7:30 p.m.; see Oct. 13 listing; Prairie Capital Convention Center.

• 10-25: Casting Crowns, 7 p.m. the Christian rockers bring their "The Altar and the Door Tour" to the area, along with openers Leeland and John Waller; Prairie Capital Convention Center.

• 10-26: Yonder Mountain String Band, 7:30 p.m.; bluegrass-rock from on high; Canopy Club.

• 10-27: John Mellencamp, 7:30 p.m.; the rock veteran returns to his Farm Aid Roots; U of I Assembly Hall.

• 10-27: Peter Mulvey, 8 p.m.: Another Blue Moon Coffeehouse greatest hit returns to demonstrate why; IWU Blue Moon Coffeehouse.

• 10-27: Sammy Hagar & The Wabos and The Other Half, 8 p.m.; the rowdy ex-Van Halen front man rocks on, with a little help from some familiar rowdy friends; U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

• 10-28: Yamato - The Drummers of Japan, 7 p.m.; Japan's masters of the Japanese taiko drum; U of I at Springfield Sangamon Auditorium.

November

• 11-2: Jungle Jack Hanna, 7:30 p.m.; the zoo-friendly star of TV's "Jack Hanna's Animal Adventures" and many a David Letterman appearance brings himself and his furry friends; Virginia Theater, Champaign.

• 11-6: Russian Patriarchate Choir of Moscow, 7:30 p.m.; the 13-man a cappella choir; U of I Krannert Center.

• 11-3: Scrap Arts Music, Phonk!, 7:30 p.m.; percussion quintet who perform for families on recycled junk, including exhaust hoses and broken monkey bars; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 11-7: St. Petersburg Philharmonic and Nelson Freire, 7:30 p.m.; maestro Yuri Temirkanbov and the orchestra meet the Brazilian keyboard sensation; U of I Krannert Center.

• 11-8: Naomi Judd, 7:30 p.m.; a non-singing ISU sesquicentennial celebration appearance by the country-singing matriarch; ISU Braden Auditorium.

• 11-9: Carlos Mencia, 7 p.m.; the man with the cranium housing Comedy Central's "Mind of Mencia" - in the flesh; Peoria Civic Center.

• 11-11: Eroica Trio, 7:30 p.m.; the three-woman string ensemble; U of I Krannert Center.

• 11-15: Rosario Andino, 7:30 p.m.: the Cuban-born grande dame of the keyboard; U of I Krannert Center.

• 11-17: Jess Klein, 8 p.m.: Boston's own returns; IWU Blue Moon Coffeehouse.

• 11-23: Harold Melvin's Blue Notes, Sharon Paige, The Fonics and Enchantment, 7:30 p.m.; an evening of vintage '70s soul, Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 11-27: Chava Alberstein, 7:30 p.m.: often praised as "Israel's greatest singer"; U of I Krannert Center.

• 11-28: Turtle Island Quartet and Leo Kottke, 7:30 p.m.; the guitar legend meets the chamber jazz quartet; U of I Krannert Center.

• 11-30: Riders in the Sky, 7 p.m.; see Oct. 12 listing; U of I at Springfield Sangamon Auditorium.

• 11-30, 12-1/2: Sesame Street Live: When Elmo Grows Up, five shows; the latest adventure for the long-running menagerie; U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

December

• 12-1: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy's Wild & Swingin' Christmas Party, 7:30 p.m.; a holiday bash with the rockabilly band credited with kicking off the modern swing revival; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 12-5: Chicago, 8 p.m.; the pop-rock vets return to color our world some more; U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

• 12-7: Third Day and Jars of Clay, 7:30 p.m.; the first Christian rock concert for this venue; U.S. Cellular Coliseum.

• 12-8: Carrie Newcomer, 8 p.m.; Blue Moon Coffeehouse record holder for most appearances returns after several years' absence; IWU Blue Moon Coffeehouse.

• 12-8: Suzy Bogguss' Christmas Holiday Show, 7:30 p.m.: the Central Illinois and former B-N club regular brings her country-pop sounds back home again for a holiday show; Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.

• 12-11: Marie Osmond's The Magic of Christmas, 7:30 p.m.; a mix of holiday standards and selection's from the Osmond sister's greatest-hits lists; U of I at Springfield Sangamon Auditorium.

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Making contact

Following are contact information and locations for the venues mentioned in the accompanying fall entertainment preview:

• Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts, Bloomington: (866) 686-9541

• Canopy Club, Urbana: (800) ETIX or www.etix.com

• ISU Braden Auditorium, Normal: (309) 438-5444

• IWU Blue Moon Coffeehouse, Bloomington: (309) 556-3815

• Millikin University Kirkland Fine Arts Center, Decatur: (217) 424-6318

• New Lafayette Club, Bloomington: www.ticketweb.com

• Peoria Civic Center, Peoria: (309) 673-3200

• Prairie Capital Convention Center, Springfield: (217) 788-8800

• Sangamon Auditorium, Springfield: (800) 207-6960

• Ticketmaster: (309) 454-5500

• Virginia Theater, Champaign: (217) 356-9063

• U of I Assembly Hall, Champaign: (217) 333-5000

• U of I Foellinger Auditorium, Champaign: (217) 333-5000

• U of I Krannert Center, Urbana: (217) 333-6280

• U.S. Cellular Coliseum, Bloomington: (866) 891-9992