*STEALIN’ BACK, a four-member self-defined “bluegrass-flavored folk-rock band” headlines a show at The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art tonight (May 2). Tickets are just $3 and the show will include opening sets, beginning at 8, by JOVIAN and SLOW NOISE. The show is being done in conjunction with the museum’s current exhibition “Play.” The museum, at 258 Main Street (Route 35) in Ridgefield, can be reached for details at 203-438-4519. By the way, among the members of Stealin’ Back is MorganEve Swain, a senior at Newtown High School who also has work in “Play.” (See the Enjoy banner page for additional information on this show and a photo of Stealin’ Back.)

*Grammy Award winner JOHN MAYER should get great a homecoming on August 20. That’s the night he’ll be playing a co-headlining show at the Meadows Music Centre in Hartford along with COUNTING CROWS.

Tickets are going on sale Saturday, May 3, at 10 am, through tickets.com outlets or in person at the Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford (the Meadows box office is still not open for the season). Prices are $35.50 for the lawn and $45.50 for reserved seating. Start making some big, welcoming banners now; the Bridgeport native deserves a good welcome.

Tickets have gone on sale for THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND’s August 3 concert at the Meadows. Tickets are $43 and $30 for reserved seats, and $24.50 for the lawn, available through the same outlets mentioned above. Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe will be opening.

*I have a note on my desk, just a scribble about a NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE show at Mohegan Sun Arena on Saturday, June 28, and I can’t remember where this came from. My calendar even says Lucinda Williams will be doing the opening set. Mohegan Sun isn’t listing the show on its schedule yet, but Young’s website is. I’ll keep you posted.

*Peter Obre and Alan Johnson return to 707 On Main in Monroe tomorrow night (May 3).

*If you take a look at Tuxedo Junction’s calendar this month you’ll notice something interesting: CENTER STAGE has the headlining duties every Friday for the next five weeks. That may very well be the first time I’ve ever seen that with that club.

Second thing you might notice is the mention of a show by THE WAILERS on Wednesday, May 7, and then a show by LITTLE FEAT on Wednesday, May 14. Yes, those Wailers and that Little Feat, right in Danbury, within the next few weeks!

Seeking Homer will be opening the Wailers show, which is an all ages event; Fuzz, of Deep Banana Blackout, along with some friends will have the opening set for Little Feat, which is 21 and over only. Tickets for the Wailers show are $15 in advance, $20 at the door; Little Feat tickets are $20 and $25.

If you miss the Danbury show this month and are feeling more ambitious when summertime rolls around, Little Feat will be up at the Cape Cod Melody Tent on August 27 (www.melodytent.com if you seriously get a mid-week, mid-August burst of ambition). The band will also be back in Connecticut towards the end of the year. Their website lists a November 16 show at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den.

Also coming up at Tuxedo Junction is a May 21 show by RED SHIFT, open to all ages; a May 28 show by 2 SKINNEE Js, also all ages ($12/advance, $14/door); and a June 4 ADDISON GROOVE PROJECT show, all ages (all tickets $10).

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 club locations are for ages 21 and over unless specified.

UPCOMING CONCERTS

MAY 2 — Stealin’ Back at The Aldrich Museum, Ridgefield, Jovian and Slow Noise opening; Hot Jam 2 at Hartford Civic Center featuring 50 Cent, Li’l Kim, Camron and Tanto, Metro & Devonti, Lil Mo and Nivea (tickets originally purchased for May 3 will be honored); Junction 18, Bayside, The Goodwill, Roxie and Falling Through at The Empress Ballroom, Danbury (all ages); Center Stage at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; The Toilet Boys at The Webster Theatre, Hartford, Bantam and Biopop opening (all ages);

May 3 — Peter Obre and Alan Johnson at 707 On Main, Monroe; Full House at Tuxedo Junction; Ministry at The Webster Theatre, Nothingface, Lollipop Lust, Kill and Motograder opening;

May 4 — Toots & The Maytals at Toad’s Place, New Haven;

May 5 — Third Eye Blind at Toad’s Place (**note: tickets through ebay);

May 6 — Buju Banton at Toad’s Place (all ages);

May 7 — The Wailers at Tuxedo Junction, Seeking Homer opening (all ages);

May 9 — LL Cool J at The Arena at Harbor Yard, Bridgeport, Amerie, Tosha Makia and go opening; Sol Dog at Classic Rock Airport Pub, Danbury; Lucinda at Borders Books, Danbury; Center Stage at Tuxedo Junction; Dope at The Webster Theatre, Hartford, Zug Island and Tapping The Vein opening (all ages); Bernard Allison at Black-Eyed Sally’s BBQ & Blues Café, Hartford; Dope at The Webster Theatre;

May 10 — Toxic Narcotic at The Empress Ballroom (all ages); King’s X and Fishbone at The Webster Theatre, Sugarfist, Johnny Law and Revelaria opening (all ages); Wayne Keenan at The Acoustic Café, Bridgeport, with guest vocalist Vesta Williams (limited seating left); The Benjamins at Tuxedo Junction; Sugar Ray & The Bluetones featuring Monster Mike Welch at Black-Eyed Sally’s;

May 11 — The Start at The Webster Theatre;

May 13 — Unloco at The Webster Theatre;

May 14 — Little Feat at Tuxedo Junction, Fuzz & Friends opening;

May 15 — Kottonmouth Kings at The Webster Theatre, Riddlin Kids and Anybody Killa opening;

May 16 — Hat City Blues Band at The Alexandria Room (Edmond Town Hall), Newtown; Lucinda at Borders Books, Wilton; Center Stage at Tuxedo Junction; Sol Dog at The Red Door Café, Watertown; Larry Garner at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Rane at The Webster Theatre, Missing Joe, The Goods and Burning Ferns opening;

May 17 —Peter Obre and Alan Johnson at 707 On Main; Them Bones at Tuxedo Junction; Larry Garner at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Dennis DeYoung at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den, Uncasville; Kansas at Palace Theatre, Stamford (rescheduled from March);

May 18 — Sepultura and Voivod at The Webster Theatre;

May 20 — Matchbox Twenty at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Sugar Ray opening;

May 21 — Red Shift at Tuxedo Junction, Echo opening (all ages); Lynch Mob at The Webster Theatre;

May 22 — Vince Wellnick at The Webster Theatre, Dreamswell opening;

May 23 — Peter Obre and Alan Johnson at Gail’s Station House, Ridgefield; Center Stage at Tuxedo Junction;

May 24 — Charisma at Jim Barbarie’s, Danbury; Screaming Broccoli at Tuxedo Junction;

May 25 — Cher at Mohegan Sun Arena;

May 28 — 2 Skinnee J’s at Tuxedo Junction, Silent Groove opening (all ages);

May 30 — Dick Dale at Toad’s Place; Center Stage at Tuxedo Junction; Eric Sardinas at Black-Eyed Sally’s; Richard Marx at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den;

May 31 — John Hiatt at UHartford’s Lincoln Theatre; The Gyst at Tuxedo Junction; Sol Dog at The Corner Pocket, Orange; Richard Marx at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den; Psychedelic Breakfast at The Webster Theatre, RAQ, Turn It Up and Bunji opening.