Heavy Dates

Once upon a time, long before jobs were downsized, value meals were supersized, and Reagan was known as a crappy actor rather than a crappy president, America was a happy land full of happy bands. Well, maybe not happy, 'cuz most of them sang about not getting laid. But they were happier then those guys from Korn or from Rage. Revisit the twang-filled good ol' days this Friday night with Wormtown's answer to the Flamin' Groovies, the Crybabies. They split the bill at the Above Club with the undertow-surf of the Preston Wayne Four. Meanwhile, for a dose of what that early punk-rawk sound was all about, you couldn't do much better than England's original Oi!-Boys, the Business. Still full of piss and lager, they headline an aces bill at the Palladium. Blood for Blood, Anti-Heroes, and Beerzone also play. We're big fans of Boston's Caged Heat who mix blues, punk, and cock rock into a yummy little stew. They open for the always-rancid (that's a compliment) Scissorfight at the Lucky Dog. Tell Iron Lung we sent you and receive a free kick in the ass! For a less-frantic night on the town, Toni Lynn Washington plays Gilrein's, and Dan Hart does a free, six-to-nine o'clock stint at Cafe Fantastique. Saturday starts early with a benefit show for UMass Pediatric HIV/AIDS Clinic at Funny Bones Cafe, featuring (among others) Seven Hill Psychos, Eastcide, Dr. Bewkenheimer, and NE Hostility. Money raised will be used to purchase a van. Speaking of, a firefighters benefit takes place at the PNI Club with 18 bands slated to play, including the Ballistics, Goonies, 45's (not to be confused with Phoenix darlings the Forty-Fives), Fiesel, A-Team, and Days Ahead. This baby runs from 3 p.m. till midnight. It's been awhile since Walter and Valerie Crockett have played in town, so their gig at the Green Rooster Coffeehouse is a must-see for all folkies, and the Deal hold CD-Release Party II at the Firehouse Cafe. And, if you're out and about, check out the emo-crunch of Prizefighter, Huck, and Milk who appear at Dinny's. Tuesday, you can make your way over to WPI's Alden Hall for a date with the Nields (call 831-5509 for details), and Wednesday brings the ethnic-space-klezma-jam of Trio Kalkalla back to the Java Hut.

-- John O'Neill

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE

And you thought Staind were well connected. Those Springfield boys might have Limp Bizkit in their corner (and the sole opening slot on the upcoming Korn tour to look forward to), but the four girls -- all in their late teens or very early 20s -- from the Mass-based post-grunge outfit the Fuzzy Pinks haven't even released a disc yet and can already count the Red Hot Chili Peppers (whose drummer, Chad Smith, produced and played on their demo, which was recorded last year at Fort Apache), Everclear (whose Art Alexakis calls from time to time to offer advice), and the Counting Crows (whose Adam Duritz is a fan) among their closest buds. After a year playing to themselves in their bedrooms, the band are just starting to make their presence felt in clubland, and they'll make a foray out into the 'burbs next weekend beginning with a show at the Lucky Dog Music Hall, (508) 363-1888, in Worcester, on January 27 -- along with Colorblind, mindFIELD, and B-Side -- and continuing on January 28 at Smithwick's, (978) 937-2111, in Lowell, on a bill with the hard-rocking Purrr and Krebstar.

Also breaking out of Boston is the female-fronted garage-punk outfit Caged Heat, whose debut disc, Serious Action, is stirring up a buzz among Stooges fans. They're at the Lucky Dog this Friday, January 21, along with Granite State militia-metal titans Scissorfight, who've just released their best album to date; it's titled, appropriately enough, New Hampshire (Tortuga). Then Caged Heat head back to the Linwood Grille, (617) 267-8644, in Boston, on January 22 to open for the finest AC/DC-styled rock-and-roll band ever to wear powdered wigs and knickers, the Upper Crust. Meanwhile Scissorfight are at the Linwood on January 28, headlining a gig with West Virginia's Karma To Burn -- whose riffs are so good that one barely notices the absence of a singer -- and the rockabilly/jump-metal dudes Demonspeed. The Allston band most likely to elicit comparisons to Jon Spencer and the Cramps, the Rock City Crimewave are gearing up for a debut album, but you can get a preview when the motörpunk trio play to the home-town crowd at O'Brien's, (617) 782-6245, in Allston, on January 22 -- along with War Horse, 5ive, and Humans Being -- before headlining an MSPCA benefit at the Linwood on January 27 with Claymore and Cash Money & the Jetsetters.

If that ain't enough trash boogie for you, note that bearded blooze wonders ZZ Top co-headline with the surviving members of Lynyrd Skynyrd in a gig that oughta have one of the highest pick-up-truck-per-capita ratios of the year. The tour's only New England stop is the Providence Civic Center, (401) 331-2211, on January 22. In other odds and sods, ska bandits the Agents play Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, (401) 272-5876, in Providence, on January 21 before hooking up with Steady Earnest and Jaya the Cat at Bill's Bar, (617) 421-9678, in Boston, on January 27. Medeski Martin & Wood collaborator DJ Logic brings his own six-piece Project Logic to the Living Room, (401) 521-5200, in Providence, on January 26 and to the Middle East, (617) 864-3278, in Cambridge, on January 27. And Anglo-punk faves the Business tear up the Palladium, (508) 797-9696, in Worcester, January 21 with Blood for Blood, the Anti-heroes, and Beerzone.

-- Carly Carioli