Heavy Dates

by John O'Neill and Carly Carioli

WORCESTER: On Friday, October 10, Bane headline a benefit show for the Space along with local faves Stricken for Catherine, Miltown, Get High, and Battle of the Network Stars. SBGB kick off the bill at the Espresso Bar along with the Deadites, Flipside, and Just for Sundae. Greendale's Pub hosts Ken Baxter, Worcester's hardest-rockin' fireman and all-around good egg, while Chillum, Sleestack, and Provoked Aggression help make Marley's final weekend a memorable one. Worcester's ripe with tribute acts when the Plantation Club Drafthouse hosts Draw the Line (Aerosmith, natch), and Sir Morgan's Cove gives you Metallica-lovers Load. Saturday, October 11, finds the must-see Dennis Brennan and his band at Gilrein's, while at the Space the thinking-punks' band, Puddle, celebrate the release of Loner, a CD that cements their standing as one of Wormtown's all-time greats. Along for the celebration are Curtain Society, Black Rose Garden, and Bearfoot Republic. Marley's goes out with a sonic boom as Gas Food Lodging, Twist 160, the Westies, and Steel 'n Tec kick out the jams one final time in North Grafton. "Uptight," by Wild Iris, isn't being played by anyone in local radio, but it should be. Catch them at Sir Morgan's Cove with Native Rage, Stone Edison, and Ruby Horse. On Tuesday, October 14, guitar great Leo Kottke plays at WPI's Alden Hall. Julian Russell and Mike Ladd host the Plantation Club Drafthouse open-mic night this Wedensday, October 15, and finally the above-mentioned SBGB continue their assault on Wormtown as they spew their lowbrow genius at Sir Morgan's Cove along with Swag, Harrison Ford (the band, we think), and Classic American Hamburger.

-- John O'Neill

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE: It's another radio station festival convergence this weekend, with Boston's Mix98 bringing Sarah McLachlan, Lisa Loeb, Paula Cole, Barenaked Ladies, the Monkees, and others to a freebie at City Hall Plaza (800-MIXFEST) on Saturday and Sunday beginning at 11 a.m. On Monday, Providence's 99.7X's Fall Fest at the Strand (401-401-272-0444) snags the Barenaked Ladies, then adds an awful metallic faux-altpop band called Size 14 (sample song titles: "Sleeping in the Wet Spot," "I Touched Her Ass"), Jimmy's Chicken Shack, and Tanya Donnelly -- who's got her own gig in Boston at Avalon (617-262-2424) on Friday the 10th.

The multiculti guitar-drums scrunge duo Local H find themselves compact headliners (following supporting dates for the likes of Stone Temple Pilots and Silverchair, and a hit single called "Eddie Vedder") on a tour that brings them to the Paradise (617-562-8800) on Thursday the 9th, and Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (401-272-5876) on October 12. Elsewhere, rhythm and blues veteran Delbert McClinton stops by Lupo's on the 10th, then plays a gig under the auspices of the Loud Music Fest at the Roxy (617-338-7699), in Boston, on the 14th.

Speaking of Lupo's, that's where you'll have to go this week if you want to see Insane Clown Posse -- the Barnum & Bailey-meets-Kiss-meets-License To Ill white rap duo du jour -- who are there, appropriately enough, on the 13th; and Smashmouth, an otherwise mediocre goofball-punk quartet who with "Walkin' on the Sun" (which hit number one on the modern rock charts last week) have managed to do what thousands of faithfully obscure garage bands over the past 15 years have been utterly unable to do -- namely, make garage rock really, truly popular again. Smashmouth play Lupo's on the 15th.

Just to let you know, tickets for the Wu-Tang Clan (at the Strand on November 8) went on sale last week. We're not sure which of the following is smaller -- the odds of the Wu actually showing up for the gig, or the odds of the group getting booked in Boston. This'll probably be as close as they get to Beantown, so plan your ticket-buying accordingly.

-- Carly Carioli