*Tickets for GREEN DAY, who will bring their first major tour of the US in three years to the XL Center in Hartford on July 24, will be going on sale in the morning. General admission floor and (up close) reserved seats are available for $49.50, and regular reserved seats are $25, and will be available through TicketMaster vendors and outlets.

*Meanwhile, a handful of shows have been announced and gone on sale for Connecticut venues in the last two weeks. Among them are JANE’S ADDICTION, playing Sunday, June 14, at the Chevrolet Theatre in Wallingford; the return of Rock & Roll Hall of Fame members FLEETWOOD MAC, returning to Mohegan Sun Arena on Wednesday, June 17; JUDAS PRIEST, on its British Steel 30th Anniversary Tour, bringing special guest Whitesnake to the Chevrolet Theatre on Sunday, July 5; TOBY KEITH, returning to the Comcast Theatre in Hartford on Friday, July 17, this time with Trace Adkins; BONNIE RAITT & TAJ MAHAL at the Chevrolet on Sunday, August 9; CREED, headlining at the Comcast Theatre on Thursday, August 20; LYNYRD SKYNYRD with The Doobie Brothers, at the Chevrolet, on Saturday, August 22; The Heaven & Hell Tour (Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice, with Coheed and Cambria), also in Wallingford, on Thursday, August 27; and The American Idols Live 2009 tour will be at the Arena at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport on Thursday, September 10.

*THE LUKE MULHOLLAND BAND has already been privileged enough to be taken under the wing of many of rock’s most legendary acts, including Blue Oyster Cult, Dave Mason, and Bon Jovi. This year, they’re continuing that trend and have been asked by Allman Brothers guitarist Dickey Betts to join him on another leg of a national tour after the two artists completed a round of touring this past March.

Mulholland will in fact be on the bill this weekend when Betts performs another pair of shows at The Ridgefield Playhouse. Tickets are available for both shows (tomorrow and Sunday night); call 203-438-5795 or visit RidgefieldPlayhouse.org for details.

*Recently added to the calendar up at the Playhouse are shows by THE CHURCH on July 7, with Adam Franklin opening; LITA FORD on July 26; VANILLA FUDGE, featuring Mark Stein and Vince Martell, on August 8; POPA CHUBBY one week later; THE WALLFLOWERS the following night (that’s August 16 if you’ve lost track); THE BACON BROTHERS on October 9; and SUSAN TEDESCHI on October 11.

*Organizers on Monday announced the final act to be added to this year’s Gathering of the Vibes Main Stage lineup is Norwalk-based singer-songwriter PJ PACIFICO, who will be opening on Friday night. Forty-eight hours and at least seven major Main Stage performances and another 18 performances on the GreenVibes Stage (to be powered in part by solar energy), CROSBY, STILLS & NASH will close the weekend festival, which will have a 40th anniversary Woodstock theme.

Main Stage performers will include The Grateful Dead’s BOB WEIR & RATDOG, drummer LEVON HELM, five-time Grammy award winner BUDDY GUY, GRACE POTTER & THE NOCTURNALS, funk legend GEORGE CLINTON, Boston-based indie-rockers State Radio and Guster, moe., and The Harlem Gospel Choir. Among those performing on the GreenVibes stage is Newtown’s own DARIS MUSK (see details about some of her recent accolades and another upcoming performance elsewhere in this week’s Enjoy section).

Tickets are available for those of you who want to visit for one day or camp all weekend, and everyone will have access to the park’s shaded groves, fields and more than a mile of Long Island Sound beachfront. There are weekend ($185) and weekend VIP camping passes ($420), one day ($60/day) and weekend VIP show-only passes, and Sunday only VIP passes ($125) available. To encourage families spending the day together, organizers are allowing children ages 15 and under free admission when accompanied by a parent.

To see the full listing of musicians and ticket options, visit GatheringOfTheVibes.com or call 203-908-3030.

*In case you’d forgotten, August will be the 40th anniversary of Woodstock and five originators of rock are teaming up for an evening to take over the arena at Mohegan Sun. THE TURTLES featuring Flo & Eddie, FELIX CAVALIERE of The Rascals, CHUCK NEGRON (formerly of Three Dog Night), MOUNTAIN featuring Leslie West and Corky Laing, and BADFINGER featuring Joey Molland will perform on Wednesday, August 12, at 7:30 pm.

Tickets are $40 and go on sale this morning at 10 am through TicketMaster.

*Also this morning, tickets for a July 10 JAY-Z show will be going on sale, priced at $70 and $110. Special guest for that show is Ciara, and those tickets are also available through TicketMaster.

*And following the incredibly successful 2008 reunion tour, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS are going back on the road and will include a stop at Mohegan Sun Arena on July 17. Those tickets are going on sale tomorrow, $44.50 and $54.50, through TicketMaster.

*Progressive Nation 2009 starring DREAM THEATER and ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA, along with Pain of Salvation and Beardfish, will be at the Cheverolet Theatre in Wallingford on Wednesday, August 5. Tickets are $38 and $48 and will be available after 10 this morning (May 15) through LiveNation.com or 877-598-8689.

*Also on sale this morning, same time and vendors, will be tickets for KENNY CHESNEY’s return to the Comcast Theatre (formerly the Meadows) in Hartford. He’ll be headlining, with Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum opening, on Thursday, August 13. Those tickets are $80 for reserved seats and $39.50 for the lawn.

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 15 — Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at Infinity Music Hall, Norfolk;

May 16 — Dickey Betts & Great Southern at The Ridgefield Playhouse, The Luke Mulholland Band opening (also May 17); Greg Brown at Infinity Music Hall;

May 17 — Dickey Betts & Great Southern at The Ridgefield Playhouse, The Luke Mulholland Band opening; Eddie Money at Infinity Music Hall (two shows);

May 18 — Dickey Betts & Great Southern at Infinity Music Hall;

May 22 — Korn at the Chevrolet Theatre, Wallingford, with Shadows Fall and Dark Day Sunday;

May 23 — Coldplay at Comcast Theatre, Hartford; Testament at The Webster Theater, with Unearth and Lazarus AD; Hat City Blues Band at LumberYard Pub, West Redding; Caravan of Thieves featuring Fuzz at Infinity Music Hall;

May 28 — The Radiators at The Ridgefield Playhouse, The Brew opening;

May 29 — Hank Williams Jr at Mohegan Sun Arena; The Adults at Proud Mary’s; Tom Dobson at Bank Street Coffeehouse, New Milford.