Heavy Dates

WORCESTER

Heavy dates

On Thursday, Paul Geremia plays acoustic blues at Gilrein's and Space'n hits hyperspace with a set in-between Simple Discourse and Euonym at the Lucky Dog Music Hall.

On Friday, Duke Levine joins the Dennis Brennan Band at Gilrein's, Dirt Junkie and Dogleg check out the renovations at G. Willickers (the soon-to-be Willy's Texas BBQ at the Cabin), Phluke is anything but at Mulligan's, Cheerleadr and Junk Sculpture balk about their generation before Who tribute Substitute blast the Lucky Dog, and the Gamma Rays help Jason James and the Bay State House Rockers electrify Ralph's.

On Saturday, it's a hard rock four-pack with Officer Down, 6Gig, Absinthe, and Wunderlick -- who return to the studio later this month to record a few more tracks for Gears -- at the Lucky Dog, Angry Johnny and the Killbillies test the Northampton jinx at Ralph's (so far this season, two shows, two blizzards), and Drag-On of the Ruff Riders drops into the Palladium.

-- Brian Goslow

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE

Contrary to published reports, the Jack Johnson opening the current tour by Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals is not rapper Mos Def's rock band of the same name -- though that group, with a black-rock all-star cast including Doug Wimbish, Dr. Know, Will Calhoun, and (on occasion) Bernie Worrell, were recently reported to be recording an album in Western Massachusetts. No, the Harper tour's Jack Johnson -- also not to be confused with the living Delta electric-bluesman of the same name, or with the early-20th-century heavyweight boxing champion -- is an ex-surfer from Hawaii who wrote a song for the last G. Love album. You have been warned. In the meantime, Harper -- the boho singer/songwriter -- is readying a double-live album for a March release on Virgin. His tour hits the Orpheum Theatre, (617) 931-2000, in Boston tonight (February 1); the Burlington Memorial Auditorium, (802) 863-5966, in Vermont tomorrow; Brandeis University, (617) 423-6398, in Waltham on Saturday; Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel, (401) 272-5876, in Providence on Tuesday; and Bates College (207) 784-6463, in Lewiston, Maine next Thursday.

Bernie Worrell -- the very same -- is in fact leading a revamped version of his Woo Warriors, who are now fortified with Jen Durkin-Kalb, the singer from jam-band faves Deep Banana Blackout, on a tour that hits the Iron Horse, (413) 584-0610, in Northampton on Wednesday (an early show at 7:30 p.m.) and Harpers Ferry, (617) 254-9743, in Allston next Thursday. Bluesman Buddy Guy hits the Calvin Theatre, (413) 586-8686, in Northampton on Wednesday; the Roxy, (617) 931-2000, in Boston next Thursday; and Lupo's next Friday. Jazz-guitar great Leo Kottke plays the Iron Horse on Tuesday; Sanders Theatre, (617) 496-2222, in Cambridge next Friday; and the Palace Theatre, (603) 668-5588, in Manchester, New Hampshire, a week from Saturday. Country star Alan Jackson is at the Augusta (Maine) Civic Center, (207) 626-2405, on Wednesday and the Worcester Centrum Centre, (508) 931-2000, next Thursday.

Local Celt-punk heroes the Dropkick Murphys celebrate the release of their new Sing Loud, Sing Proud with a series of on-air and in-store performances; you can hear 'em live on the FNX Radio Network on Sunday between 9:30 and 11 p.m., and then see 'em up close and personal on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the Newbury Comics Alewife location in Cambridge, (617) 491-7711, and again on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at the Newbury Comics, (401) 821-3170, in Warwick, Rhode Island.

-- Carly Carioli