Heavy Dates

by Joe Longone and Carly Carioli

WORCESTER: This Friday, August 22, Black Rose Garden, Huck, Crazy Alice, Lunar Plexus, and Gas Food Lodging get together for one hell of a show at Sir Morgan's Cove, Grafton's young punk rock outfit Twist 160 appear along with the Detriments, Oxford Snow Kings, and Murry Lane at the Espresso Bar, the Space showcases Guerrero, Milltown, Chupa Kabra, and Black Jack Action, Marley's features Hubris and Revolving Radio Userr for the all-age audience, and check out singer/songwriter Lee Totten at Chuck's. This Saturday, August 25, the Espresso Bar hosts a killer rock line-up with Orange 9mm, Eastcide, Forced Fed Shovelhead, and Fall from Grace, the Heavy Metal Horns are likely to blow the patrons away when they play the Plantation Club, Chillum, Count Zero, and Epileptic Disco funk up the Cove, and the Space welcomes Bret Hart's Conversation Twixtman and Machine Festival, featuring Running with Scissors, Industrial Sonic Echo, Bob Jordan, and Dave Nader. This Sunday, August 24, the Space holds a special all-ages show starring Cave In, Sons of Abraham, Motive, Drowning Man, and Huguenots and country star Mark Chestnutt is in concert at Indian Ranch. Next Thursday, August 28, one of the country's best Cajun bands Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys shuffle into Gilrein's. She's Busy sing up a storm at the Tammany Club, and Bob Jordan headlines the Espresso Bar's open stage. Next Friday, August 29, the Space holds a benefit for the Mountain Reservation of Arizona featuring Anguish, Anti-Product, Self Extinction, Foundation, and Boiling Man, the Hascells, Dirty Larry, and Kaos from Order come to the Espresso Bar, and Marley's spotlights Conduit, MindFIELD, and Gasket.

-- Joe Longone

BOSTON/PROVIDENCE: Not that there's any lack of music aimed directly at the rich foreign-student market, but OMC's "How Bizarre" (and the accompanying video, with the trio copping Compton poses in a convertible) seems tailor-made to become this year's Eurotrash-with-Attitude club anthem. So the slick, champagne-gobbling M-80 crowd will be sure to show up early next door at the Paradise (617-562-8800), in Boston, when the Bizarre ones arrive on August 22. Maybe they'll even charter a fleet of jets or something and get in the night before (i.e., tonight, August 21) when OMC play the Met Café (401-861-2142), in Providence.

Northeast skaficionados will be running scooter rallies and skanking away to the likes of the Skatallites, the Toasters, Spring Heeled Jack, the Pilfers, Bim Skala Bim, Skavoovie & the Epitones, Big D & the Kids' Table, and Skinner Box at the all-day, all-ages New England Ska Festival on August 23 up at the Nashoba Valley Ski Area, in Westford (800-477-6849). If that's just a bit too much ska for ya, Spring Heeled Jack are on a bill with the Pie Tasters at Pearl Street (413-584-7771), in Northampton, on August 24; then the Pie Tasters move on to Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel (401-272-5876), in Providence, on August 25 with Boston punks Dropkick Murphys and Village Idiots.

And speaking of idiots, who pried open the thrash tombs and let Testament loose again? They've got a new album, Demonic (Mayhem), which is horrible even by the (mediocre) standards of their late-'80s speedmetal dreck, and they'll be at the Strand (401-272-0444), in Providence, on August 26 before heading to the Middle East (617-864-3278), in Cambridge, on August 27, with Strapping Young Lads and Stuck Mojo opening both dates.

Later in the week, highly regarded bizarro noisesters Harvey Milk, who have a new double 10-inch vinyl-only release out, make a couple of rare New England appearances opening for Come, who've been recording a new album with Paul Kolderie at Fort Apache. Both bands will be at the Met Café next Thursday, August 28, then make the drive to the Middle East on August 30.

-- Carly Carioli