Heavy Dates

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE

Comeback geezer of the decade Santana stops at the Tweeter Center, (617) 931-2000, on August 1 and 2. And speaking of comeback geezers -- well, strike that, 'cause Ozzy Osbourne never really went away. Ozzy blows through with Pantera, Godsmack, Queens of the Stone Age, and a bunch more on board the Ozzfest express, which will make stops at the Tweeter Center, in Mansfield, on July 29 and 30. The Queens, out in support of their sophomore post-Kyuss disc Rated R, play an intimate gig -- their only area headlining show -- at the Newbury Comics, (508) 845-3391, in Shrewsbury on July 28. And Godsmack follow up their Ozzfest mainstage stint with two shows at the State Theatre, (207) 775-3331, in Portland, on August 1 and 2. Opening up are home-town faves -- and candidates for, y'know, the next Godsmack -- 6gig. Also on the bill are a band called Mourning Widows, whose guitar player -- Nuno Bettencourt! -- used to be in a certain hair-metal band with Godsmack manager Paul Geary. Nuno's next gig isn't nearly so swank -- his Widows play the cheese-metal graveyard known as the Station, (401) 823-4660, in West Warwick, Rhode Island, on August 24.

The Lowell Folk Festival, (978) 970-5000, graces six stages in that fine city from July 28 through 30, with free performances by Riverdance's Eileen Ivers, Cape Verdean morna singer Fantcha, Western-swing dudes the Texas Playboys, the Mad Bavarian Brass Band, and lots more. And honky-tonk novelty/virtuoso Junior Brown takes his 10-gallon hat to the seashore for a show at the Wellfleet Beachcomber, (508) 346-6055, on July 28.

-- Carly Carioli