*OK, well, here’s to hopes and wishes coming true! After mentioning the NINE INCH NAILS tour last week and the fact that as of last Friday there wasn’t an official announcement concerning any New England shows, word came in this week that there is indeed a Hartford stop for Trent Reznor and crew on the Fragility v2.0 Tour. Tickets are going on sale Saturday morning for a May 14 concert at the Hartford Civic Center. This tour, as was mentioned last week, is the band’s first tour in five years, and anyone who was at the Meadows the last time NIN came around (with David Bowie!) knows how good Reznor’s work is when he’s playing live.

Tickets for this concert are going to be available through TicketMaster, online or over the phone (tickermaster.com or 744-8100 for the Danbury area, 860/525-4500 FOR THE Hartford area, and 203/624-0033 for the New Haven area). Prices run from $29 to $48 apiece.

*Couple of quick notes for you concerning some local bands with shows this weekend. SOL DOG locked up a Friday night gig at Café 127 in Shelton. That’s Friday as in the same date that’s at the top of this page — March 24.

And Saturday night, MOPPIN’ SAUCE returns to Fat Daddy’s Tavern in Watertown.

*It’s less than a month to go, and the bands for the annual radio 104 Modern Rock the Earth day have yet to be announced. But it’s a free show on the Governor’s back lawn (Bushnell Park, behind the State Capitol Building), rain or shine. Key word in that last sentence was free, by the way. The show is always a fun time, so who cares who will be on the stage. There will be plenty of food, environmental-awareness groups, vendors and the usuals set up along the outer lawn again, too.

*BEN FOLDS FIVE has a new album out, called the autobiography of reinhold messner, and a new tour. The guys will be at the University of Hartford Sports Center in West Hartford on Tuesday, April 11. In addition to the new full album, BFF will also be featured on the soundtrack of the new Farrelly Bros. comedy, Me Myself and Irene, with a cover of Steely Dan’s “Barrytown” later this spring.

Until next week, I’ll be seeing you... on the road.

Questions and comments should be sent to Shannon Hicks, c/o Bee Publishing Co., 5 Church Hill Road, Newtown 06470, or shannon@thebee.com. Include a phone number for confirmation, please. If you don’t have a stamp or a piece of paper or a writing utensil that works, give me a call! The phone number at the office is 426-3141. Shows listed on the calendar at club locations are for ages 21 and over unless specified.

UPCOMING CONCERTS

MARCH 24 — Sol Dog at Café 127, Shelton; Mighty Purple at Toad’s Place (all ages, CD release party); The Nerds at Tuxedo Junction; Mojomatics at Luigi’s Nitelife Café; Fat at The Webster Theatre (all ages);

March 25 — Moppin’ Sauce at Fat Daddy’s, Watertown; Sol Dog at The Avenue Café, Fairfield; Amnesty Underground and Outspoken at Laszlo’s Arts Café; Peat Moss & The Fertilizers at Tuxedo Junction; Nasty Habit at Luigi’s Nitelife Café; Zen Tricksters at Tune Inn, New Haven;

March 26 — The Jibe at Luigi’s Nitelife Café; Roomful of Blues at Towne Crier Café; The Itals at Tune Inn;

March 28 — Psychedelic Breakfast at Toad’s Place (all ages), Mori Stylez opening;

March 30 — Anthem at Luigi’s Nitelife Café; Freddie McGregor at Toad’s Place (all ages), Glen Washington & Benjy Jyaz opening;

March 31 — Sol Dog at Classic Rock Brew Pub, Danbury; The Benjamins at Tuxedo Junction; Slackjaw at Laszlo’s Arts Café, with two openers TBA; Shakedown at Toad’s Place (all ages), Silent Majority opening; Spontaneous Combustion at Luigi’s Nitelife Cafe.

APRIL 1 — Toybox at Tuxedo Junction, Danbury; Aztek Trip at The Webster Theatre, Hartford (all ages), Grey Cell Green opening; Zero Chance and Malpraktis at Laszlo’s Arts Café, Monroe;

April 2 — Pork Tornado at Toad’s Place, New Haven (featuring John Fishman of Phish; all ages show);

April 4 — Shannon Curfman at Toad’s Place (all ages).

April 5 — Mighty Purple at The Hawk’s Nest/Univ of Hartford;

April 6 — Tower of Power and Average White Band at Toad’s Place, New Haven; Phil Lesh & Friends at the Oakdale Theatre, Wallingford (SOLD OUT);

April 7 — Point of View at Laszlo’s Arts Café (CD release party), also 5 Finger Discount;

April 8 — Dave DeAngelis & Friends at Newtown Coffee House, Newtown; The Peacocks at Tune Inn, New Haven;

April 11 — Ben Folds Five at Uhartford’s Sports Center, West Hartford;

April 12 — Creed at New Haven Coliseum, Sevendust and UPO opening; Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young at Hartford Civic Center;

April 13 — Mighty Purple at Husky Blues, Storrs;

April 14 — The Radiators at Toad’s Place; Hour Zero and Adva at Laszlo’s Arts Café;

April 15 — Royal Steel Pan Band at Laszlo’s Arts Café;

April 16 — moe at Toad’s Place (all ages);

April 18 — Bob Weir and Rob Wasserman at University of Hartford’s Lincoln Theatre (performance is by the duo, not their band Ratdog);

April 20 —The String Cheese Incident at University of Hartford’s Lincoln Theatre; Sleepy La Beef at Tune Inn; Mighty Purple at Equator Club, Manchester;

April 21 — Amnesty Underground and Orange Glow at Laszlo’s Arts Cafe;

April 22 — radio 104 Modern Rock the Earth Day at Bushnell Park, Hartford (band line-up TBA, concert all afternoon, rain or shine); Electric Mayhem and Hash Clyde at Laszlo’s Arts Café;

April 27 — Dick Dale at Toad’s Place;

April 28 —Popa Chubby at Towne Crier Café, Pawling, NY; The Jerry Garcia Band at The Webster Theatre; Snotty Sox, Circle Cindy and Flip You For Real at Laszlo’s Arts Café;

April 29 — Shadablu and Backwash at Laszlo’s Arts Cafe.

MAY 3 —The Vibrators at Tune Inn, New Haven;

May 4 — Mustard Plug and Edna’s Goldfish at Tune Inn;

May 7 — Commander Cody & His Lost Planet Airmen at Towne Crier Café, Pawling, NY;

May 11 — “Weird Al” Yankovic at The Bushnell, Hartford;

May 14 — Nine Inch Nails at Hartford Civic Center;

May 18 —Gunga Din at Tune Inn.