Heavy Dates

WORCESTER

Lord knows how many years it's been now since Roomful of Blues took their jump act and headed out on the road to conquer America. When you can count founding members of the long-defunct Del Fuegos and Sugar Ray Norcia as alumni, it's probably best just to call them "an institution." So check out the world-famous blues institution when they skip down to Point Breeze this Friday night. You'll probably need a score card to tell the players these days, but at least they can still deliver the juice live. Runaway Brain are one of those bands who seem to disappear for extended periods, then show up twice in the same week. Sure enough, they play O'Brien's in Allston this Thursday, then head back to the Worm for a Friday-night headlining slot at the Tammany Club. One of America's finest singer/songwriters Slaid Cleaves plays the Bull Run with an opening slot from local gem Mark Fisher. Elsewhere on Friday, the Paramounts return to Gilrein's, and Bellevue Cadillac (sorta the little cousins of Roomful) let it rip at the Firehouse Cafe. John Surette was always one of those Boston guys you could count on to write sharp, smart pop tunes with Boy's Life. Now as head honcho for the DeNiros, he's produced his strongest album to date. Borrowing from both mid-era Neighborhoods and Village Preservation Society-era Kinks John Surette & the DeNiros flirts with the idea of being highbrow, but ultimately settles for sticking with laying out the rock-action. They co-headline at Dinny's with the always rockin' Time Beings this Saturday. Speaking of powerful, you could do worse than the one-two line-up of Villain and Musclecah at Ralph's. And if that weren't enough for your five clams, check out the gleefully insipid SBGB, who open the night. Down the road a piece at Ebenezer's (Framingham), it's wild and caustic with Controlled Aggression and Dr. Bewkenheimer, while Dirt Junkie and Skulltoboggan give the same treatment to the up-till-now-peaceful folk at the Tammany Club. Things quiet down considerably for a spell, but next Thursday brings two good reason's to get out. Pioneer Valley legend Ray Mason returns for a solo gig at the Moonstruck Cafe, while in town, Big Al and the Heavyweights promise to blow the top off Gilrein's.

-- John O'Neill

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE

One of the common criticisms of electronic music, whether it be house, drum 'n' bass, or ambient, is that it's cold, calculated, and rigid -- that it lacks the human element of warmth, feel, and flexibility. Toronto's the New Deal may be the best argument that electronica is not immune to humanization. The trio specialize in creating live, ambient "drum-break-house" (their term, not ours) with an improvised, jazzy sensibility, and they aim to maintain a natural, organic feel even though the equipment they rely on is all quite digital in nature. They'll demonstrate with headlining gigs tonight (August 10) at Lilli's, (617) 591-1661, in Somerville, and on August 12 at the Stone Coast Brewery, (207) 773-2337, in Portland.

In between, on August 11, the New Deal are on the bill for the opening day of the mammoth Berkshire Mountain Music Fest, a three-day extravaganza at Butternut Basin, (888) 513-FEST, in Great Barrington. Also on Friday: Boston roots stars the Tarbox Ramblers, second-generation Afro-funk legend Femi Kuti (who plays the Newport Jazz fest on Saturday), Michael Franti's Spearhead, and the String Cheese Incident. Saturday's bill is especially jam-friendly, with Béla Fleck (fresh off last week's Newport Folk Festival), moe., the Slip, and Jiggle the Handle. And Sunday's line-up includes Galactic, Deep Banana Blackout (who play the Newport Jazz Fest on Saturday), and modern jazz-funk faves Medeski Martin & Wood. Fleck and MMW team up tonight (August 10) at the Cape Cod Melody Tent, (508) 775-9100, in Hyannis, and Spearhead headline the House of Blues, (617) 491-2583, in Cambridge, on August 13.

Elsewhere, it's a veritable festival of fests. The Pines Folk Festival, on August 12 at the Pines Theatre, (800) 843-8425, in Northampton, includes John Gorka, Patty Larkin, the Nields, and Melissa Ferrick. And the traveling edition of the Montreaux Jazz Festival brings Al Jarreau, Roberta Flack, and David Sanborn to the FleetBoston Pavilion, (617) 931-2000, in Boston, on August 15. Meanwhile, the Wellfleet Beachcomber, (508) 349-6055, hosts New Orleans workhorses the Radiators on August 10 and 11; the irrepressible funk sideman turned touring machine Maceo Parker on August 14; and Tex-Mex garage-rockers the Iguanas on August 16.

August 16, as it happens, is the anniversary of Elvis Presley's death. And though we don't recall ever hearing anyone refer to Joan Jett -- as she is referred to in a release promoting her free gig on August 16 at the Mohegan Sun Casino's Wolf Den, (880) 204-8000 -- as "the girl Elvis," it's not a wholly inappropriate association: leader of the bad-girl pack with the Runaways, a solo rock-and-roll lover, the den mother of riot grrrls and trash punks. Beats rotting on the potty, no?

-- Carly Carioli