*Mocha Coffee House is doing one of its rare tribute shows tonight. SCOTT PARKER will be leading an early tribute to Bob Dylan (whose birthday is May 24) at the Glen Road coffee house starting at 7:30, and all musicians are invited to join him for the open dedication show. Non-musical Dylan fans are of course invited to enjoy the performance, which will run until about 10.

Upcoming shows include traditional acoustic folk by BILL DEVLIN on May 17; singer-songwriter LAURA WARFIELD on May 23; JURMAN, a/k/a Tim Larson and Dave Garcia, on May 24; acoustic guitarist RYAN WEBER, May 30; and acoustic duo DONOVAN ROBERTS to close the month on the 31st.

*If you haven’t heard yet, this may be the southern rock dream teaming of the season: KID ROCK and LYNYRD SKYNYRD will no doubt be making headlines and turning heads in August as they team up for their first ever tour together, The Rock and Rebels Tour. Connecticut is one of the lucky markets that will welcome this tour, with an August 31 date set aside at the Dodge Music Center in Hartford.

The bill has been doing the late-night talk show circuit this week (Rock did one show, anyway, playing his new single “All Summer Long” on The Late Show with David Letterman this week), and just last night (May 15) the double bill played Madison Square Garden, offering a preview of what fans can expect for the upcoming nine-show tour.

It’s hard to believe, but this week’s performance at MSG was the first ever for the legendary Rock ‘N Roll Hall of Fame members.

Tickets and VIP packages will be available soon through TicketMaster.com, while additional tour information is available at LiveNation.com and more information on these artists can be found at KidRock.com and LynyrdSkynyrd.com.

*Also in case you haven’t already heard and you have tickets and plans for tonight’s BOBBY “BLUE” BLAND and KOKO TAYLOR show over at The Ridgefield Playhouse… stop!

The show was postponed on Monday (May 12) due to sickness, and a new date has yet to be announced. Hang on to your tickets for the time being, and call the theater (203-438-5795) for additional information.

*COLDPLAY will bring its Viva La Vida North American Tour (coinciding, natch, with the release of the similarly named Viva La Vida on June 17) to Connecticut this year. The band has a date set up for Thursday, July 3, at the XL Center in Hartford. Tickets will be on sale Saturday, May 17, at 10 am.

The tour will kick off officially on June 29 with a show in Philadelphia, but the band has a pair of free shows planned for fans who, like me, are very much looking forward to this tour and are willing to enter a raffle for a chance to see these guys before they come into our home court.

There will be a free show on June 16 at Brixton Academy in London, and then another freebie at Madison Square Garden on June 23. To enter, visit the band’s website (Coldplay.com) between now and June 1 and enter. Winners will be notified on June 5.

There will also be performances, of new single “Violet Hill,” on the TODAY show on Friday, June 27 (a reminder that viewing is open to first-come, first-served fans who rise before the crack of dawn to get to NBC’s World Studio, at 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza… if you’re not busy that morning), and then they’ll be performing on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on June 26.

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

MAY 16 — Scott Parker at Mocha Coffee House, Sandy Hook, playing Bob Dylan open tribute show (musicians invited); Kanye West at Dodge Music Center, Hartford, Rihanna, N.E.R.D. and Lupe Fiasco opening;

May 17 — Bill Devlin at Mocha Coffee House;

May 20 — Van Halen at Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Ky-Mani Marley opening;

May 22 — The English Beat at Fairfield Theatre Company;

May 23 — Laura Warfield at Mocha Coffee House; Billy Joel at Mohegan Sun Arena (SOLD OUT); Ed Roland at Mohegan Sun’s Cabaret Theater; Slamm USA at Foxwoods Casino’s Hard Rock Café, Ledyard (Carmine Appice’s percussion ensemble, playing benefit for Hartford Children’s Medical Center), with special guests Gary Hoey and Bill Leverty;

May 24 — Jurman at Mocha Coffee House;

May 25 — Billy Joel at Mohegan Sun Arena (SOLD OUT); Stone Temple Pilots at The Chevrolet Theatre;

May 26 — Stone Temple Pilots at Mohegan Sun Arena;

May 29 — Billy Joel at Mohegan Sun Arena (SOLD OUT); “Stop in the Name of Love: Band Together Benefit” at Fairfield Theatre Company, featuring Jen Durkin, Jay Stollman, Christopher Brown, Chris Coogan and Band Together founders Rob Fried and Jerry Vigorito;

May 30 — Ryan Weber at Mocha Coffee House; Tab Benoit at Fairfield Theatre Company; The B. Willie Smith Band at Toad’s Place;

May 31 — Donovan Roberts at Mocha Coffee House; Foghat at Mohegan Sun’s Wolf Den (two shows, 8 and 10 pm); Air Supply at The Palace Theater, Waterbury; Stayin’ Alive at Mohegan Sun’s Cabaret Theatre (tribute show, also June 1).